Moments
by hatedinnocence03
Summary: This is my take on a series of VA drabbles, mostly centred around Rose and Dimitri, and I've been inspired to pursue this idea by Orlissa92's A Little Bit Of This, A Little Bit Of That. Please Read & Review!thank you! Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy, Richelle Mead does.
1. Chapter 1

**Drabble:1**  
**POV:Third Person**

On Valentine's, while Lissa pored over books in the library, Christian decided to find Rose, figuring she would be missing Mason and could use a laugh or two. After wandering through the campus aimlessly for some time, he finally saw her. Sitting on a bench, half-hidden by a bunch of trees. With Guardian Belikov.  
He inched closer soundlessly, not wanting to disturb them and okay, maybe a little part of him enjoyed seeing Rose look happy instead of all doom and gloom, like she usually did nowadays. A few words of their conversation floated to him.  
"You know…..it's traditional….but we…its….so here", Guardian Belikov said, handing something to her.  
"Dimitri", Rose replied in a soft tone that surprised Christian. "I didn't….you said…gift…I'm-"  
"Rose", Dimitri interrupted in an equally gentle voice. Curious, Christian moved closer, straining to hear them clearly. "You don't need to. I know."  
"But I want to", Rose countered, wringing her hands together in an uncharacteristic display of nervousness.  
"Oh, Roza", he said quietly. "This is enough."  
They said no more, but exchanged a long, loaded look. Only then did Christian notice how closely they were sitting, leaning towards each other, arms touching. As his mind pondered over the various possibilities, Rose move towards Belikov and tenderly kiss his cheek. He thought that surely Belikov would yell at her and chew her head off, but boy, was he wrong. Belikov leaned towards her and cupped her face. And with the moonlight (and Christian) as their sole witness, he kissed her. Christian was so shocked, he couldn't tear his eyes away. When they pulled apart (four and a half minutes later, yeah he counted), they moved apart wordlessly and started talking about the upcoming field experience as if nothing had happened.  
Christian drifted away soundlessly, head heavy with thoughts. Suddenly a lot of things made sense. Adrian's cryptic taunts, Rose's unwillingness to date, Dimitri rejecting Tasha's offer, all the unexplained looks he had seen the guardian and the novice share and the effortless way they had of orienting themselves around each other, even unconsciously.  
When Rose showed up later to hang out with the group, he didn't say a word about what he had seen, not when he saw her eyes shining happily, not even when he caught a glimpse of a single red rose in her backpack. He didn't bust her, because contrary to popular belief, he actually cared for her. A Lot. And he would keep her secret, if it was worth her happiness.

**Let me know what you think of this!cheers!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A special thanks to LexieBelikova for my first review...this is for you!**

Drabble:2

**POV:Third Person**

Rose knew that Dimitri loved her. Hell, he had basically admitted that he could never love anyone else after Spokane. But even then, she needed a few. Stolen kisses, the accidental brushing of hands, and their sporadic, emotional moments aside, Rose sometimes wondered if he really loved her as much as he claimed to.  
And then she'd remember how he had volunteered to help her with calculus and then ended up doing most of her assignment himself. How she'd found him outside her exam hall "supervising" after she'd suffered through a particularly difficult exam. Or how she'd find lozenges or toffees outside her dorm whenever she'd had a bad day.  
She'd remember their many internal jokes, about how he trusted her with the secrets he kept locked inside. She'd remember how he would light up when she confessed her secrets and crazy plans. About how he defended her time and again whenever (and often) she got into trouble.  
She'd remember how happy and proud he would look whenever she did something mature or guardian-like. How he'd nod in approval and amusement when she could behave civilly towards Stan for an entire class. And how his eyes would tighten slightly whenever any other guy flirted with her. How his lips would flatten when someone else touched her hair, the hair that he loved so much. How he would pretend to shake his head in disbelief whenever she showed up to practice early. And how he had pouted in the cutest possible way the time she insisted that he watch Kung-fu Panda with her and the gang in the lounge and then, actually sat beside her during the movie. And wordlessly passed her his popcorn when she finished hers.  
She thought of how he nervous and adorable he looked when he gave her small gifts, like her favorite lip gloss, or a pair of gloves, or even a brand new ponytail-holder. And how he almost blushed when she gave him her small offerings, like a mix-tape she made to enlighten him about 21st century music, or the tacky mug she'd managed to make in her pottery class.  
And then, Rose would realize that he loved her just as much as he said he did. And then, she'd look up and her searching eyes would meet a pair of warm brown eyes from across the room, and the smallest of smiles would ghost across his face for a second. A smile that she knew that only she could bring when he was in full guardian-mode.

**Please leave a review!thanx!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Drabble: 3**  
**POV: Third Person**

"So let me get this straight", Hans barks, glaring at the 2 squirming figures sitting on the other side of his desk.  
"You two saved up a month's worth of holidays for this trip, yes?"  
They nodded in affirmation.  
"And you went to Prague?" Hans asks, trying to control his voice.  
Again, they nod.  
"And somehow you both ended up with 5 _molnija_s apiece?"  
The two figures exchange a look, and then nod.  
Hans sighs, exhaling audibly. Though he feels like throttling the living daylights out of the both of them, he knows that he cannot afford to lose 2 of his best guardians.  
"Do I need to remind you why you were called here after your last 'vacation'?" Hans asks wearily.  
"No, Guardian Croft, we remember distinctly", the male finally says.  
"And my punishments clearly don't seem to be enough for you", Hans informs them, pressing a button on his cell." So I took the liberty of arranging something different."  
"What do you-", the female begins, only to be cut off by Han's door bursting open, revealing the livid woman standing outside.  
"Rosemarie Hathaway and Dimitri Belikov! How dare you go strigoi hunting on your own?"  
"Queen Vasilisa would like a word", Hans says, chuckling as he closes his office door, trapping the two guardians in with the raging blonde.

**Please leave a review!Thank You!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Drabble: 4**  
**POV: Jill**

"Rose is my best friend", Lissa started without any preamble whatsoever. "And she's like my sister. She's always been there for me."  
Jill nodded uneasily, trying to catch Lissa's eye. She felt a stab of pain that Lissa could so easily state that Rose, a dhampir, was her sister, but could not acknowledge her own half-sister.  
"Rose is my sister, and so I can't let her go", Lissa continued.  
But you can let me go, a small voice inside Jill said.  
"Besides, she'd probably kill me if I took her away from Dimitri", Lissa said, a small smile playing on her otherwise poker face. "But Eddie is unassigned, and I trust him. He's an amazing guy. And you already sort of know him. So he will be your guardian. He'll go with you" At that Lissa's eyes had met Jill's for a moment, jade eyes staring into jade eyes, searching. And then, with a small nod at her, Lissa had gone away.  
At that time Jill had thought Lissa was sending Eddie to control her life. It took her six months in Palm Springs to realize that Lissa had meant that she cared.

**I know that this is exceptionally short, and I'm sorry for that. But, thank you for reading!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Drabble:5**  
**POV:Third Person**

He had always prided himself on his self control. He was always calm, poised and cool-headed in every situation. He rarely showed his actual emotions on his face, let alone vulnerability. After Ivan, he hadn't shed one tear publicly, preferring to grieve in solitude. In fact, the last time he clearly remembered letting his emotions shine through was when he beat up his abusive asshole of a father. After that, he became guarded, putting up what Rose jokingly called "the stoic warrior mask". It was a way of protecting himself from getting hurt. And he preferred that. Better safe than sorry, right? So yeah, he had plenty of self control and had mastered the poker face….or so he thought.  
Because, then he met Rose and everything changed. She had a habit of attracting all sorts of trouble, and he was so, so worried about her whenever she went out of his sight. And his world-famous self control? Well, when it came to Rose, it became basically non-existent. But he still had the guardian mask that he had cultivated over the years, and only Rose seemed to see beyond his impenetrable mask. And it was okay with him, because he loved her with his entire being.  
But after everything they had endured, when they finally were together, when he could actually claim Rose as his own, the last vestige of the stoic warrior in him disappeared. He laughed more, or so people said that he didn't appear so very distant and indifferent anymore, that he seemed to be more his age. And every time he saw Rose, his mouth would reflexively turn upwards, every time they touched, he couldn't help giving her one of the "genuine" smiles that Rose claimed he rarely gave out, and every time Rose said that she loved him….well, let's just say Dimitri got the biggest shit-eating grin on his face. And he loved every bit of it.

**Thank you for reading!Let me know what you think of it! Cheers :D  
PS- If you wanna supply prompts, please feel free to do so.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Drabble: 6**  
**POV: Third Person**

The very fact that they were together was a miracle. She had cheated death, not once but twice, and he'd been saved from a fate far worse than dead. She'd saved him.  
They both had lost their best friends to the strigoi, Mason for her and Ivan for him, and they had overcome the deaths, finding peace and solace in each other. They had overcome a thousand struggles, prejudices and oppositions, all for the sake of being with each other. It shouldn't have been this way, but they had made it-a miracle, indeed.  
They were now full-fledged guardians, lovers, confidants, equals in every way. They had supportive families and friends, who'd stuck with them through thick and thin. They had love in their lives, love and happiness. Not exactly a miracle, but close. They had moved from under the shadow of the past and were fully living their lives, together. They had defeated all odds, and found their soul mates in each other, another miracle.  
But the biggest miracle of all was before them now, staring up- wide-eyed - from his baby blue blanket at the dhampir couple, standing arm-in-arm, who had tears running down their cheeks. For Mason Ivan Belikov, with _his_ chocolate eyes and _her_ tell-tale complexion, was their ultimate miracle. All 8.9 pounds of him, and he was all theirs, the only child in their history borne by 2 dhampir parents. Born on the very anniversary of the day when they had declared their love to the world. A true, cherished miracle indeed.

**Thank you for reading!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Drabble: 7**  
**POV: Christian**

Must. Not. Blink. Must. Not. Blink.  
I repeated the mantra over and over in my head, while glaring at the dark haired fiend aka Rosie Hathaway sitting across the table from me. She held my eye, and oh what a joyous look she bestowed upon me. *note the heavy sarcasm*  
I could almost pick her thoughts directly out of her head to continue the silent conversation we were having.  
You're going down, Fireboy, her unwavering glare seemed to say.  
Not even in your wildest dreams, you crazy psychotic bitch, I thought to myself, with a smirk. If the intensifying of her glare was any indication, my thoughts were clearly projected on my face.  
Why, might you ask, were I and the psycho engaged in our staring contest? Well, we two were in the cafeteria with Lissa, having our breakfast peacefully cough* insulting each other* cough when we suddenly realized that there was one unclaimed bagel left on our table. And me, I love bagels. And queen bitch has a bottomless void for her stomach, so we were having our epic battle for the food and bragging rights, all the while challenging the other to breakdown first. Must. Not. Blink. I repeated to myself, trying to stop my eyelids from making me lose to the idiot.  
But Lissa, sweet, angelic, peace-loving Lissa grew tired and leaning forward in one swift motion, halved said bagel and gave us each one piece. We both turned to look at Lissa accusingly (while blinking our eyes to our heart's content). She studied the magazine in her hand, ignoring us completely.  
"What the hell, Liss?" said none other than aforementioned psycho. "I almost had Firefly's ass". Before I could retort, Lissa spoke up.  
"Eat up, Rose. You got class and Chris and I need to go see the feeders"  
Rose shot her one last betrayed look and then stuffing her mouth with her bagel piece, got up and walked away. She shot me a look that said 'this isn't over yet' clear as daylight.  
I smirked at her, tipping my head to say, bring it on.  
Once the pathetic excuse of a person left the café, I turned to my girlfriend accusingly.  
"Save it", she said before I could speak. "You were 3 seconds from losing. I saved you."  
I blinked at her a couple of times, and then gave her a lazy grin. "Did I mention I love you, babe?"  
She shot me a smug grin, and then returned to her magazine again. And me? I kissed the top of her head, and then ate up my bagel.

**Thank you for reading!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Drabble: 8**  
**POV: Third Person**

Adrian watched the scene unfolding before his eyes with a feeling of anticipation.  
Rose and Belikov were walking together with a little kid who looked very much like the Russian. Seeing Rose and her boyfriend still hurt, but for some unexplainable reason, he couldn't look away.  
His patience was thoroughly rewarded when mega-Douchebag Jesse Zeklos, approached Rose. Belikov and the kid had walked away towards an ice cream cart, and Zeklos, seeing Rose alone decided to pounce. Adrian couldn't clearly hear what the jackass was saying, but if Rose's aura was any indication, he was hurting and angering her beyond words. And the jackass was so absorbed in degrading Rose that he did not notice the little kid running towards them, an ice cream clutched in each hand.  
By then, a crowd had gathered around Jesse and Rose, watching the drama and Adrian sneaked into the back of the crowd. Jesse wore a viciously satisfied look on his face while Rose's face was expressionless. Jesse called Rose a bloodwhore the exact moment the little kid broke through the crowd. Before he could say anything else, the little kid walked up to him and kicked him in the 'golden spot'. Jesse's face crumpled as he sank to the ground. Not sparing him a glance, the kid walked up to Rose and handed her an ice cream. And then, taking her hand, led her away to where Belikov was standing, looking curiously at the crowd. He tried to ask what happened, but Rose shook her head, laughing silently, and kissed the kid on his head. Adrian walked away, laughing to himself.  
The next time Adrian met the kid-Paul, Belikov's nephew- was five years later. Adrian took Paul to the ice-cream parlor on Court and treated him to the best ice-cream that the place had to offer. And had the satisfaction of watching Jesse rush out of the parlor the moment he spotted Paul.

**Please RxR!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Drabble:9**  
**POV: Third Person**

Early morning wake-up calls had never been Adrian's thing, but he couldn't just as well not answer his door. So opening the door, Adrian came face-to-face with the last person he had expected. Dimitri Belikov stood on his threshold, his face composed into an expressionless mask.  
Ushering the man in, Adrian offered him whiskey, which the guardian immediately rejected. Adrian settled himself into a couch, and after a few moments, Belikov followed suit, sinking into a chair gracefully. After a few minutes of silence, Adrian spoke up.  
"I'm assuming you didn't come over for a friendly chat."  
Belikov just looked at him, deep in thought.  
"Well?", Adrian prodded again.  
"How much do you love her?", Belikov asked him without any preamble.  
"What?", Adrian blurted out in confusion.  
"Rose. How much do you love her?", Belikov replied patiently.  
Adrian floundered, his head trying to make sense of what was happening. Then he recovered, "A lot. More than I should".  
Belikov studied him for a few minutes and then nodded. "Good", he said, standing up.  
"Why are you asking me that?", Adrian countered uneasily.  
"Because if anything happens to me, I need to know that someone will be there to help her through, to love and cherish her, to care for her.", the guardian said, the smallest iota of emotion penetrating his mask.  
"Why me?", Adrian asked, getting to his feet.  
Belikov paused at the door and looked back, straight into Adrian's eye. "In spite of our differences, I respect you and you are a good man. And you can make her happy, I know that now". With that, the guardian left his room, with a parting nod.  
Adrian stared after him, dumbfounded for a few seconds. _A good man_, Belikov had called him. No one had ever said that to him before.  
Adrian raced into the hallway and called after the guardian. Belikov paused, and Adrian walked up to him.  
"You know", he began softly. "If the circumstances were different, we could have been friends?"  
Belikov cracked a half-smile at that. "Take care, Lord Ivashkov".  
Adrian turned away as he said, "Be safe, Guardian. And come back for Rose" If Adrian had turned around, he would have seen the stoic warrior's face crumple with pain. But he didn't. The last memory Adrian Ivashkov had of Guardian Dimitri Belikov before the academy's rescue mission was a happy one, not that of a tortured, love-sick man who was going to lose his soul.

**It's a bit morbid, I know, but thank you for reading anyway!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Drabble:10**  
**POV: Christian**

The Apocalypse has come! I thought that as I packed my survival kit in my bedroom. We are doomed!  
The first sign of the Apocalypse was when I knocked on Rose and Dimitri's apartment this morning and it took Dimitri two minutes to answer the door. Two full minutes! I mean the man can change all 4 tyres of my car in that time!  
The second sign was Dimitri-prim, proper and perfect- Belikov answering the door while yawning. Gone was my loyal, ever-vigilant guardian. The man answering the door had bed-head and rumpled clothes and was actually rubbing at his eyes.  
The third sign was finding a box of doughnuts on their kitchen counter. Uneaten, chocolate-glazed doughnuts untouched by the resident doughnut-monster cough*Rose*cough.  
The next sign was finding my sweet, angelic girlfriend attacking a hamburger. Yup, you heard right. Beautiful Lissa, born and bred royalty, was stuffing her face with the greasy fast food. And not only that, she didn't have on any make-up, wore slacks and was sprawled across Rose's sorry excuse of a couch. Did I mention the hamburger was surrounded by a bottle of Coke, a packet of Gummy Worms, Oreos and a packet of Cheetos? Queen Vasilisa, on her one off morning from duties, was having a pig-out.  
But the next sight, which convinced me of the impending doom, was so unexpected…that I couldn't help but wonder if I was trapped in some sort of a dream or had entered some parallel universe. Because- you might wanna brace yourself now- Rose Hathaway looked up at me and smiled. Actually smiled, and then she went back to what she was doing. What might you ask was Ms Lazy-ass doing? She was reading a book! Yep, you heard right, Rosemarie Hathaway was reading a book, and just not any book, but Pride and Prejudice at that!  
I think I muttered some sort of an expletive then, because the two females shot me a look and then resumed their activities. I stood there for a few minutes, waiting for someone to shout April's fool (even if it was September). Then, unable to take it anymore, I quickly excused myself and hightailed it back to my apartment, and on my way, I bumped into Rose's mobster daddy, who was walking out of the Court's church, dressed all in conservative black. God help us all!  
So that is why I was in my bedroom right now, debating over the necessity of Trail Mix for survival. Its necessary, isn't it? Or maybe I should pack doughnuts, so I can run away from Rose if she tries to eat me or something.

**So what's the verdict, Trail mix or doughnuts? :p Thank you for reading!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Drabble:11**  
**POV:Rose**

"And I was right!", I exclaimed the moment Sydney left.  
"Are you sure? She didn't seem quite….how shall I put it, lovesick.", Dimitri said, shifting so he was hugging me from behind.  
"Did you see the way she was squirming when I made those suggestive comments? And the googly eyes they were making while they were dancing? Come on, even you had to notice that!", I said, wrapping my hands over his, pulling him closer.  
"And you're okay with that?", he asked, nuzzling my neck.  
"Not really, but I know love when I see it…and let me tell you those two are head over heels.", I paused, watching Adrian steal a glance at Sydney from his table. "And I'm happy for them, Adrian especially….I still feel bad about the way things ended between us."  
"I know Roza, and you're right. In some ways they are perfect for each other.", Dimitri acquiesced, rocking our bodies slowly, in tune with the music " He's been more sober and responsible with her around, and she has loosened up. They also complement each other, both looks and personality-wise. But still, a human and moroi? That is pretty unorthodox, won't you agree?"  
"Unorthodox doesn't even begin to cover it, but is there any reasoning for love?I gotta hand it to Adrian, he sure knows how to pick 'em. First me, now Sydney…What's next? A strigoi?", I snickered quietly, imagining Adrian introducing a strigoi to his father as the love of his life.  
"Roza, be serious", Dimitri chided, and I knew he wasn't just talking about my idiotic comment.  
"Comrade, our relationship was also deemed unacceptable by our society, but look where we are now.", I said, turning my head to look at him better. "Together. And in love. And doing our jobs, protecting the moroi. And we should have this conversation somewhere more private, don't you think?"  
"Is this you trying to seduce me?", Dimitri teased, arching an eyebrow. And then, he proceeded to place soft, butterfly kisses all over my exposed neck.  
"Stop it you! Behave!", I scolded, slapping his forearm. "Your break is almost over now, and I gotta go see if Sonya needs anything. I'll see you later, okay?"  
" Sonya knows, I think", Dimitri said quietly, gesturing to where Sonya and Mikhail were posing for photos.  
"Damned woman is just too good at reading auras", I muttered under my breath, disentangling myself from Dimitri's embrace. He chuckled at that.  
"I love you Roza", he said, placing one last kiss on the top of my head.  
"Forever and always", I said, walking towards the bridal party's table.  
"Forever and always", Dimitri repeated with a smile, as he disappeared behind a pillar.

**I hope you guys recognize where i took the scene from...for those of you not in the know, this happens at Sonya and Mikhail's wedding, after Sydney talks with Rose and Dimitri after she dances with Adrian.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Drabble:12**  
**POV:Third Person**

Anya Maria Belikov was born on a midsummer's afternoon, a 7.8 pound beautiful baby girl with chocolate brown eyes and rosy cheeks. Everyone congratulated the formidable guardian couple on the beautiful addition to their family-a baby who blessedly had the calm disposition of her father instead of her mother's temperament. Everyone who saw her gushed and cooed over her, from the bubbly nurses to the stoic guardians, who had come to see Anya.  
Her own family was no exception. Her mother, Guardian Hathaway-Belikov was beaming like the Cheshire Cat, and her father, Guardian Belikov, had already taken her pink blanket-clad figure in his arms and was busy baby-talking to her in his native Russian, showing no sign of letting her go any time soon. Queen Vasilisa, Anya's godmother, was heard by several witnesses to be already planning the baby's prom dress. And King Ozera, snarky, smartass Christian, was staring in awe at the little bundle of joy, speechless for a change. Even Guardian Janine –scary, tough-Hathaway had actually cried, no matter how much she tried to deny it. Not to mention the couple's many female friends and the entire Belikova clan was a blubbering mess. The males had a little more restraint, but it was pretty evident that baby Anya already had her many uncles and cousins wrapped around her little fingers.  
After celebrating the birth of the beautiful baby, friends and family began to depart, offering their well-wishes and blessings as they went. Adrian was the last to go and he, being Adrian, couldn't waste this opportunity to make a quip. "You know the Twilight books that Lissa loves?" he began, leaning over Dimitri to poke Anya's nose, "Well, in that story, the jilted guy ended up with the happy couple's daughter. And look at us. I'm the jilted guy. And you two lovebirds just had a gorgeous daughter. Just saying". With that he vanished out of the room, leaving Dimitri gaping after him, openmouthed.  
Rose chuckled at the shock and horror on her husband's handsome face, "Oh shut your trap, Comrade! You know he was just kidding!"  
Dimitri recovered, but clutched his baby girl just a bit closer to his body. "He may be joking, but I'm not letting him alone near my Anya any time soon." Dimitri announced, kissing Anya's forehead.  
"And she's not dating till she's 30", he added with a smile, only Rose didn't think that he meant it as a joke.

**Additional Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, Stephanie Meyers does.**  
**And this chapter is dedicated to LexieBelikova, romitri4ever and Roza-Dimka-Reader for being so awesome and supportive...you guys rock!  
**


	13. Chapter 13

**Drabble:13**  
**POV:Third Person**

Christian and Adrian stood in a copse of trees, covertly watching the mentor and pupil duo running in the distance.  
"I hate that he keeps her hanging, you know", Adrian said softly, taking a drag of his cigarette.  
"So what? You expect him to propose to his 17 year old student?", Christian retorted, leaning against a tree-trunk.  
"No."  
"Exactly.", Christian said, smirking at the older moroi.  
"But why not? I mean, he already follows her around like a lost puppy", Adrian insisted, his eyes on the dhampir girl who was laughing at something her running partner said.  
"He does", Christian conceded. "But I thought you said that you hate that he keeps her hanging."  
"He does"  
"Dude! You just contradicted your own statement", Christian said, with another smirk.  
"Jesus, man! You know what I mean!", Adrian said, growing agitated.  
"I got no clue", Christian shrugged, enjoying himself now.  
"Christian! Stop being such a dick!", Adrian growled. "You know perfectly well what I mean….he is all lovey-dovey when she doesn't notice. For all we know, she cries to sleep every night". Christian couldn't help but snicker at the image.  
"Let me get this straight", Christian said, still laughing, "You think Rosie cries herself to sleep because Belikov denies loving her?" Even Adrian had to laugh at that.  
They watched silently as the two dhampirs retired into the gym.  
"I hope he would do that", Adrian muttered suddenly.  
"What?"  
"Deny loving her. Tell her no. God, that would make my day!", he said, crushing the cigarette beneath his shoes.  
"Yeah, right! That's gonna happen the day Aunt Tasha murders your great-aunt.", Christian joked playfully, picking up his bag from the ground.  
"Jesus Christ Christian! Did you have to bring Aunt Tatiana in this?", Adrian frowned. "Besides, Aunt Tatiana is more likely to murder Tasha than otherwise."  
"Oh yeah? I bet Tasha could take her.", Christian scoffed. "She knows martial arts."  
"But my great aunt is educated in sword-fighting and she has one hell of a right hook.", Adrian said smugly. "She'll win hands down."  
"No way"  
"50 buck says she would."  
And so on they bickered as they walked towards the moroi dorms.

Ironically enough, the day Queen Tatiana was murdered by Natasha Ozera, Dimitri broke Rose's heart. But when the matter came to light, neither Christian nor Adrian found the situation the least bit funny. It was the worst thing that ever happened to them. So much for self-fulfilling prophecies!

**Hey guys!I feel I should warn you the next 2/3 drabbles are gonna be of a more serious _cough*_boring_*cough_ type, because i'm re-reading Wuthering Heights and it makes me all sad and thoughtful. Do any of you also like the book? And as always, thank you for reading!:D**


	14. Chapter 14

**Drabble:14**  
**POV:Third Person**

"She's killing me, man!", Mason exclaimed, flopping down in Zane's bed.

"Melodramatic much, Mase?", Eddie asked from his bed, throwing a mini-basketball towards his 'brother-from-another-mother'.

"Dude! I've been flirting with her non stop and dropping all these suggestive comments, but she just doesn't notice!", Mason exclaimed, tossing the ball back.

"Maybe she swings for the other team?", Eddie suggested cheekily. Mason growled.

"Chillax, Mase," Eddie drawled. "She just returned to Vlad's; maybe she still is adjusting. Why don't you ask her out?"  
"She's in probation" Mason said, trailing his fingers through his hair. "Again".

"What's she done now?  
"Pissed off Alto. She called him a baboon with a stick up his scrawny pasty ass. Then she changed her mind and said that poor baboons would be insulted at being compared to him.", Mason informed with a laugh.

"Oh man! That girl's something."

"I know, Ed. How do I get her to love me?"  
"Firstly, stop being a sap.", Eddie scolded, passing the ball again.. "Then, spend some time with her."

"But she's under house arrest."

"When has that ever stopped her?"

"Touché.", conceded Mason, tossing the ball to Eddie.

"Hey! What if she likes someone else?", Eddie said suddenly.

"Holy hell! Does she? Do you know who?", Mason panicked.

"Mase, I was just pulling your leg", Eddie said with a laugh. "Have you seen her acting all lovey-dovey?"

"Ed, this is Rose Hathaway we are talking about.", Mason said dryly.

"Oh sorry, I mean have you seen her going all man-cave on someone?", Eddie amended.

"No, she always spends her off time with either Lissa or Belikov or us."

"See she likes you.", Eddie said with a smile.

"Or _you_.", Mason muttered in an undertone.

"Mase! Come on man, you know she doesn't. And even if she did, I wouldn't look at my bro's girl."

"I just wish..". Mason sighed.

"I know, buddy. You have been parroting about her to me ever since she returned.", Eddie said dryly "I'm surprised she hasn't called you out on being a lovesick idiot yet."

"What do I do, man? I gotta do something!"

"Stop wasting my time and man up", Eddie said, sitting up. "Get her flowers or something, girls love that. Surprise her now."

"Can't.", Mason said, sitting up too. "She with the Russian God. I'm thankful that his sessions don't leave her any time for a love life. And she's training with _him_, with Dimitri-freaking-Belikov".

"Mase?", Eddie asked slyly. "Are you sure _you_ don't swing for the other team?"

"Why did I even come to you?", Mason groaned, standing up.

"Cos you love me, Masey-boo!", Eddie exclaimed in a girly voice, making kissing noises.

Mason flipped him off and left for his room, thinking of how to seduce Rose, thanking the stars for Belikov preventing Rose from dating someone else.

**Hey guys!I wrote a new story, titled the Reason, go and check it out :p**  
**On a more serious note, I'm kinda lost about what 'moment' to depict next, so help me out here. PM me if you have any suggestions. Cheers!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Drabble:15**  
**POV:Third Person**

Viktoria came down to breakfast that morning, fully prepared to give Rose the cold shoulder. She was still mad at Rose for interfering in her life. Viktoria burned for Rolan and then Rose showed up and ruined everything.  
Upon reaching the kitchen, she found it empty. No Olena and Rose chatting over blini and coffee, no laughter. She set the kettle of water on the stove and then walked past the living room to the corridor leading to the back porch. She even peeked into Paul's room on her way back. She wasn't looking for Rose, not at all. Okay, so maybe she felt a bit bad about bitching at her, but Rose had started it. But where was Rose this morning?

By standing in the landing, Viktoria could hear her mother and Karo moving around in their rooms, but no sound came from Rose's-no, Dimka's- room. Maybe she was still asleep?  
Viktoria pondered over their last encounter again as she poured the scalding hot water into her cup and she felt ashamed at treating Dimka's girl so shabbily. Her brother would have been so very disappointed, but then again, Dimka was like the saint of virtue. And Rose had come all the way from America to tell them about Dimka. Suddenly, she felt bad and decided to prepare coffee for Rose- a peace offering.

"She's not here", a voice said from behind her. Viktoria spun around to face her babushka.  
"What do you mean?", asked Viktoria, glancing at the clock. It was too goddamn early for running errands.  
"She left.", Yeva said, settling into her rocking-chair. "Last night. After she tried to apologize."

Viktoria stood frozen to the spot, guilt and shame making her blood run cold. "Oh, god!", she moaned suddenly, feeling the prickles of stinging tears in her eyes. "What have I done?"

"You behaved abominably to the girl who was only trying to help you.", Yeva chastised. "She was telling the truth about the boy."

"Babushka, I didn't know! I swear I didn't! Oh god! I was so mad. I said such horrible things to her!", Viktoria sobbed, throwing her face in her hands.

She suddenly felt Yeva's hand on her back, patting her. "You did, child. But Rose had to go. She still has loose ends to tie up."  
"Will she ever forgive me, babushka?", Viktoria asked, sounding very much like a child in need of reassurance. "I can't live if she doesn't; Roza is like a sister to me already. I wish I could tell her how very sorry I am."

"You'll get your chance to make amends, child", Yeva said with a glint in her eyes. "You can tell her that when she returns."

"Will she come back really?", Viktoria asked in a small voice.

"The flower-child will return, both scarred and healed", Yeva said mysteriously. "And whole, finally whole."

Viktoria didn't even bother unraveling Yeva's riddle. All that mattered was that Roza would be back, and she would apologize to her. She could still make Dimka proud of her.

**Thank you for reading!**  
**Btw, have any of you read Sonnet 35 by Shakespeare? If not, try it...its's wonderful!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Drabble:16**  
**POV:Third Person**

Janine was a woman on a mission. She walked towards Guardian HQ in Court, in hope of finding her target there. But because she was Guardian Hathaway, she couldn't walk into the building without attracting attention. So, she put on her 'pissed-off' face, which unerringly kept people at bay.  
Once inside, she hightailed it to the second floor for a better vantage point. (The woes of being 5'2''!). She scouted the area with a sharp eye in search of her target cough*prey*cough and bingo! Target secured. Now it was just a matter of secluding him.

Dimitri sat in a cubicle downstairs, sifting through a stack of reports. He was totally immersed in his task and seemed oblivious to the laser eyes burning a hole in his back. And then his phone rang. "Belikov", he answered, eyes still on paper. "Kill-Bill", the voice replied.

* * *

Janine observed him, glossing over what she knew about him. Despite his youth, Belikov had already made his reputation as a guardian. He was polite, diligent and level-headed and possessed a sharp mind. He hailed from Russia and had graduated as the top student in his year. He was reclusive, according to most people; and also a genuinely good guy, who helped others-in-need.  
All-in-all, Dimitri Belikov was a remarkable man, that any woman would want her daughter to date. Except in Janine's case, Dimitri was already living together with said daughter, who was 7 years younger than him. Who had been his star pupil. Whose career he had helped shape. Who might or might not have been involved in illicit activities with her mentor back in the academy.  
Janine felt equal amounts of gratitude and anger towards the man, but she needed answers. A 'little' chat with her daughter's mentor-turned-friend-turned-lover-turned-strigoi-turned-dhampir again-turned-lover again-boyfriend was in order.  
Just as Janine realized that, Belikov's head snapped up. Had she been found? No, he was looking in the other direction, towards the doors. Following his eye-line, Janine saw….her daughter. Rose smiled at him, a radiant smile. And the same goofy smile plastered across Dimitri's face. Gone was his indifferent guardian mask. He seemed to glow with happiness.

Janine watched Rose submit some documents to a guardian, and then strike up a conversation. Belikov walked over and slung an arm casually, and possessively, around her shoulder. They left together, after chatting with another guardian, a blonde kid who was Rose's friend….Castor? No; Castile, Edison Castile. Janine sighed and walked away, grumbling about wasted opportunities and lovesick idiots.

* * *

Walking back to their apartment, hand in hand, the two guardians reviewed their day.  
"Kill-Bill?', inquired Dimitri.  
"Mom had come for blood, you know", Rose teased.  
"No, Roza", Dimitri said softly. "And if she had, it proves that she cares".  
"Thank God Eddie spotted her!", Rose exclaimed, ignoring his comment. "I flat-out ran when he informed me Hathaway senior was planning your murder. We owe him big-time."  
"I'd have to thank him sometime", Dimitri conceded.  
"What about me, Comrade?", Rose teased. "I rescued you, you know."  
"I'll thank you back at home", Dimitri promised. "All night, if you want".  
"Yes, please", Rose quipped and hurried her steps. Dimitri chuckled, but he too walked faster.

**Thank you for reading!  
PS-Kill-Bill is a movie about this murderous bloodthirsty woman, which Janine kinda is :p  
**


	17. Chapter 17

**Drabble:17**  
**POV:Third Person**

Dimitri was the perfect guy in her eyes, his questionable obsession with the West and musical preference aside. While she preferred slow melodies and fast, pumping beats, Dimitri liked the 80's and country. She loved teasing him about his music. Dimitri didn't mind at all, in fact he secretly enjoyed the extra time he could spend talking to her.  
One morning when Rose arrived early for their training session, she found Dimitri already in the gym, not only working out, but much to her surprise and delight, singing along softly with some song playing on the stereo. He knew the song word for word which probably meant it was an 80's hit, and his rich, gentle baritone almost made her swoon. She hid behind the gym door, not wanting to be detected, and listened to him sing. He looked almost carefree as he walked around the gym, setting up equipments for their lesson, his guardian mask discarded. With an effort, Rose stopped concentrated on him and instead focused on the lyrics he was singing._  
When you love someone  
Yeah, really love someone  
Now, I know it's right  
From the moment I wake up till deep in the night  
There's nowhere on earth that I'd rather be  
Than holding you, tenderly  
I've been waiting for a girl like you  
To come into my life  
_Her heart jumped in her chest, for somehow she knew that Dimitri, _her_ Dimitri, was singing about her, for her. He couldn't do it in front of her, or other people for obvious reasons, but alone in the gym, he was pouring his heart out for her. She waited till he finished singing and then, silently slipped away, blinking back tears. It wouldn't do for him to catch her crying (or spying).  
Inside the gym, Dimitri watched the sole figure walk away, from the corner of his eye. He had realized Rose was nearby halfway through the song, but had continued singing nonetheless, wanting her to hear. He could never say it to her face, but he loved her so, so much. It felt uplifting to have her _finally_ know.

* * *

When Rose showed up for training, half an hour later, she found Dimitri sprawled on the mats, reading one of his beloved westerns and listening to some crappy country music. He looked up at her and smiled, and then directed her to training. He pretended not to see her puffy eyes, and she pretended to not feel him watching her. No matter how they wished they could be together, there just was no way, not in their society, not with their sense of duty. All they could go on with were these stolen moments, glimpses from another life they could have led.A life they both wished to live.  
_It's more than a touch or a word we say_  
_Only in dreams could it be this way…._

**Additional Disclaimer-The song here is 'Waiting for a Girl like You' and it belongs to Foreigner.**  
**PS-It is a wonderful song, and an 80's hit(which I btw learned today after assuming it to be a 90s' half my life).  
Thank you for reading!**


	18. Chapter 18

**Drabble:18**  
**POV:Third Person**

Christian had been summoned to the Headmistress quite a number of times- quirks of being a badass, you know? But his latest appointment left him mystified. He had done nothing suspicious in a while, courtesy of Lissa.  
Walking in, he found Kirova, Guardians Petrov and Belikov waiting in the room. All three wore classic poker faces, giving away nothing. After a round of exchanging pleasantries, they _finally_ admitted the reason for asking him in. To say that he was shocked would be an understatement. He stared at them, uncomprehending.  
"Let me get this straight", he began slowly "Rose is going to be _my_ trial-guardian."  
All three nod.  
"And not Lissa's?", he asked for clarification.  
"No", said Kirova.  
"Are you guys serious?"  
"Yes, Lord Ozera.", Alberta said patiently.  
"She doesn't know yet, does she?", he asked, a huge smile spreading across his features.  
Their silence confirmed his suspicions.

"Oh, man!", Christian whooped and burst into amused laughter.  
"Well, we believe this may be a bit of a concern", Kirova began when he had calmed down enough "As you know Novice Hathaway has-"  
"Rage issues?" Christian volunteered cheerfully.  
"Yes. And, you two clearly clash.", added Kirova dryly.  
"And your point is?"  
"What Headmistress Kirova is trying to say is that Rose may be inclined to inflict _some_ sort of damage to you. To demonstrate her unwillingness for the assignment, if you may.", continued Alberta. "In light of that, we would urge you to report her directly to us if she does…something."

"Rose wouldn't do anything like that". Christian spoke with conviction, an amused grin playing across his mouth. "We may bicker and everything, but she would never willingly jeopardize my life or her career. You know that, right?"  
Three stony faces met his, but there was the slightest glint of approval in Dimitri's eyes.

"But, just in case-", began Kirova.  
"It's better to be safe than sorry.", completed Alberta.  
"With all due respect, Headmistress and Guardian Petrov", Christian said tartly, no longer amused. "I think _I_ know Rose a little better than you. And I'm perfectly willing to take my chances facing her wrath. That being said, I firmly believe she won't act out because she's not that petty or childish. And I'm pretty sure Guardian Belikov will agree. Is that all?"  
The two women exchanged concerned glances, while Guardian Belikov looked on patiently.  
"That's all.", affirmed Alberta. "You are free to leave, Lord Ozera".

Christian stood and after nodding at the trio turned around to leave.  
"Oh, just one more thing.", he said upon reaching the door. "Will one of you _please_ videotape it when Rose finds out? It will be prime blackmailing material for the rest of her life."

"Goodnight, Lord Ozera.", Dimitri said with a small smile, and Christian departed, laughing merrily to himself.

**Thank you for reading! Let me know what you think! Cheers!**


	19. Chapter 19

**Drabble:19**  
**POV:Third Person**

Lissa loved nothing more than throwing a party, especially a surprise party. She took it as both a challenge and a mission. But the party she had been planning was probably her biggest and most exciting challenge so far. Rose was her bond-mate, so planning a surprise party for her was _especially_ exhilarating. After all, your best friend turns 18 only once!

Lissa spent weeks buying party stuffs online, and arranging for cake, streamers and presents. She made video montages, different playlists and even prepared a speech. She made up fancy invitations. She had planned everything down to the last detail, from booking a lounge in guest housing, to perfecting the guest list, inviting only their friends and a few guardians that Rose was especially friendly with. But she did her best to keep everything hush-hush, not an easy task when said best friend could read her mind. She could almost visualize the shock and the happiness that would play across Rose's face when she found out, and the hug that she would bestow on Lissa. Lissa was giddy with happiness. Rose's 18th birthday was gonna be memorable!

But when the day arrived, things ended up less than perfect- _way_ less than perfect. Rose left the academy for hunting down her dhampir-turned-strigoi lover. She broke Lissa's heart by choosing _him_ over _her_, and broke her vow to protect Lissa at all times. Lissa knew that Rose was hurting, but she couldn't help but feel sorry for herself.

That morning, Christian opened his door to a puffy-eyed and teary-faced Lissa. "She loves him more than me", Lissa managed to choke out. Christian pulled her in an embrace and didn't let her go, holding her as she cried over her best friend. He said nothing, just offered her love and comfort as she bawled her heart out.

When the time for the party arrived, Lissa walked into the lounge, hand-in-hand with the love of her life. All their friends had already arrived, but the guardians were conspicuously absent, probably knowing about Rose's departure already. And Lissa got to give a speech, just not the one she wanted to. And it was certainly was memorable, just not in the way she had intended. Lissa knew she would never forget this day for the rest of her life. After all, your best friend turns 18 only once!

**I'm so sorry for not updating last day. I feel horrible, but the situation was unavoidable due to certain circumstances. But thank you for reading! Please leave a review!:D  
PS-I have been wondering if i should banish this series for a while, and instead concentrate on one-shots. What do you think?**


	20. Chapter 20

**Drabble:20**  
**POV:Third Person**

Janine Hathaway wasn't a woman prone to jealousy, but even she suffered from the green-eyed monster sometimes. Like this very instant. Her daughter, Rose Hathaway, was hugging a middle-aged woman. Not just any woman- Olena Belikova.  
Rose loved Olena, Janine knew that. She was always going on about how motherly and caring Olena was, how kind she was and what a wonderful cook she was. Rose gushed about how Olena had raised her four children single-handedly, and helped nurture them into respectable, outstanding dhampirs. Rose had even revealed to her that Olena was basically Rose's version of an ideal mother. So, Janine knew how fond her daughter was of Olena.

Still, watching them together made Janine's heart ache. Janine watched Olena embrace Rose and fuss over her affectionately as Rose's face broke into a grin at her mother-in-law-to-be's coddling.  
Janine and Rose had come a long way from the animosity that had been the predominant part of their relationship previously. Rose no longer resented her, and genuinely seemed to care about her, but they still had walls. Rose had only known Olena for a few months, but she seemed totally at ease with her. Olena had helped Rose cope with Dimitri's death, had helped her heal, when Janine couldn't. In a rare moment of vulnerability, Janine wondered if she had made the right decision carting Rose off to the academy as a toddler. Sure, Rose had grown up to become a remarkable person with a promising career, but Janine had played no part in her upbringing. Janine felt sad that she was a stranger to her own daughter.

While she was lost in thought, Rose had come over, bringing Olena with her. "Mom?", Rose spoke up, breaking Janine out of her reverie "I'd like to introduce you to Olena Belikova, Dimitri's mom."  
Janine forced a smile on her face and nodded cordially, repressing her jealousy at the loving tone in Rose's voice. Her rival for her daughter's affection-the brown-eyed, brown-haired woman-smiled warmly at her. "And dearest mother-in-law-to-be," continued Rose in a joking tone "Meet the one-and-only bad-ass guardian, Janine Hathaway. My mother"  
Janine couldn't help but notice the look in Rose's eyes as she was introduced. Rose's eyes reflected happiness, pride, respect and something else, something that seemed a lot like love. They also seemed to seek Janine's approval, approval for the other woman, approval at her choice. Janine couldn't help but feel touched.

"I've heard a lot about you, Guardian Hathaway," Olena said amicably. "Roza has a lot of admiration for you. It's nice to finally put a face to your name."  
"The pleasure's all mine", Janine said pleasantly, no longer jealous. "My daughter can't shut up about you. And, please call me Janine." As they chatted, Janine saw her Rose smiling at her. Thanks, Rose mouthed. Thank you, Janine mouthed back. They both shared a look of understanding.  
Janine and Rose might not have an ideal relationship, but they shared blood, Blood mattered. And they had the rest of their lives to work on perfecting their relationship. And they were willing to work for it.

**Thank you for reading! :D**


	21. Chapter 21

**Drabble:21**  
**POV:Third Person**

Don't give in. You're mad at him, remember?

Despite my _very_ loud mental chastising, my body happily ignored me. My skin tingled as Dimitri's hand ran along my leg. I focused on the file I was reading, oh who am I kidding? My entire being concentrated on the touch of my boyfriend's warm hand as it brushed up my knee and around my thigh.  
Feeling my body's inviting reaction, he scooted over and wrapped his other hand around my waist. Pulling me closer, he pressed my back to his chest. I remained stiff, adamant to not give him the pleasure of winning…_yet_. Dimitri held me awhile, his head resting on the crook of my neck, reading the report with me while his hand continued stroking my leg.  
"I'm still mad at you", I informed him.

"Roza, you know why I have to go", he told me reasonably.  
"No, I don't. Sonya's enough. You didn't have to volunteer", I told him acerbically, placing my file on our coffee-table and leaning against him.  
"She's moroi. She needs protection. And I'm a guardian and a useful asset for this research. I have to go. For the greater good", Dimitri countered, rubbing his chin against my shoulder-blade. "And for my piece of mind".

Being without him would suck, but he needed this, I realized. "I hate it when you make sense", I grumbled, not voicing my real concerns.

"I know, Roza.", he murmured, placing a kiss on my forehead.

"I still don't like it", I mumbled, wrapping my arms around him securely.

"What's _really_ bothering you, Rose?", he asked me in his cut-the-crap-out voice.

Damn! He knew. He did know me_ just_ that well. I couldn't lie to him, but I was embarrassed to tell him the truth.

"It's just that we just got together, and now you are taking off for goodness-knows-how-long." I huffed, burying myself further in his embrace. "And I've gotten so used to being with you, I don't know how I'll cope without you."

"Roza, you're strong.", he said gently. "You're amazing. You'll be absolutely okay. And as for us, we'll talk. Everyday, I promise. And I'll come back-to you. We have our entire lives to be together."

"We'll talk everyday?", I asked him hopefully.

"Everyday", he confirmed, looking straight into my eyes.

"But the time-zones-", I began.

"We'll work around it".  
"And Adrian-"

"We'll manage", he reassured me with a kiss. I considered-_again._

"I'm still not happy", I resigned, finally.

"I know, baby", Dimitri said softly, already knowing that he had won. Damn sexy Russian and his convoluted logic!

"I love you, Roza", he told me, placing soft kisses across my collarbone.

"I know", I said, arching my neck, which he took full advantage of.

"Dimitri, I love you", I whispered quietly.

"I love you more", he breathed, smiling against my neck, already knowing where this was going.

"Prove it", I challenged.

He responded by crashing his lips against mine and enveloping me with his body.

**Thank you for reading! One of the perks of being insomniac is having time to write, and hence the double update today. Hope you enjoy! :D**


	22. Chapter 22

**Drabble:22**  
**POV:Thrid Person**

"Rosemarie, this is preposterous", Janine retorted, hands on her hips.  
"Mom", Rose spoke in a warning tone, glaring at her. "I'm not a kid anymore"

"You got shot. You are still recovering. You are not going to get up and around."

"I'm fine", Rose huffed. "And this is boring."

"If half of what I heard is true, you've had enough excitement to last a lifetime.", Janine admonished.

"Lissa needs me", Rose tried again.

"Vasilisa doesn't _need_ you", Janine said. "She has the entire Royal Guard at her beck and call."

"Please, Mom! This place- its like a prison."

"Which part- the lofty space or the TV?", Janine asked sarcastically. "Or maybe it's the library and music system?"

"Mom!", Rose whined.

"Absolutely not".

"Come on!"

Dimitri watched the two Hathaway women's verbal warfare, lounging against the doorframe. Both were resolute and refused to budge. After watching the verbal ping-pong match for 10 minutes, he decided to _finally_ participate.

"Roza, your mom is right", he said, walking into the room. Both women turned towards him.

"See even your _boyfriend_ agrees", Janine said triumphantly, looking back at her.

"Comrade?", Rose asked incredulously.

"Roza, you are still recuperating. And you need to build-up your strength", Dimitri reasoned.

"But I'm all alone, all the time. And the Court's in uproar. Liss needs me", she said petulantly.

"She visits you everyday and I've been guarding her in your lieu, so rest assured she's safe", he told her gently.

Rose would've argued again, but then thought about something else. "And Christian?", she asked tentatively.

Dimitri and Janine exchanged a look.  
"He's normally in his apartment, or with Lissa", he spoke levelly. "Mikhail accompanies him when he visits _her_." They all knew who _her _was.

"I don't wanna stay here", Rose whined again, trying to shift the suddenly somber mood.  
Janine was exasperated-she couldn't seem to knock any sense into her daughter. Rose was too much like her, headstrong and stubborn. Janine had been trying to reason with her for quite sometime.

"Please, Roza", Dimitri said softly, claiming her hands in his.

Janine readied herself for the verbal onslaught that Rose would surely unleash on Belikov. But Rose just glared at him, and then sighed.  
"Fine", she conceded, "I'll stay".  
"What?", Janine blurted out in shock, eyes bugging out.  
"I'll stay in, _recuperate_", Rose said grumpily. "Ignore my guardian duties."

"But-but-", Janine stammered. "I said-and you-then he-"

"What now?', Rose snapped, ignoring Dimitri's stern look.

"I have been arguing with you for hours and you didn't budge. Then he just says please, and you agree?" Janine asked incredulously.

Rose and Dimitri shared a look and then smiled at the flabbergasted guardian.  
"Belikov, you are a miracle worker. God bless you!", Janine said emphatically before sinking into a couch. Dimitri smirked at that, and Rose rolled her eyes.

**Thank you for reading! Please leave a review! :D**


	23. Chapter 23

**Drabble:23**  
**POV:Third Person**

Alberta looked up from the file she was perusing as her office door opened.  
"Rose?", she frowned, surprised. Then, seeing the other figure, understood. "Again?"  
Dimitri Belikov nodded at the older guardian, closing the door behind him. Alberta inhaled deeply, then exhaled, closing the file in front of her.  
"Who?", she questioned, already suspecting the answer.  
"Guardian Alto.", Dimitri answered levelly.  
"Of course _him_.", Alberta muttered, now scowling at Rose, who didn't look the slightest bit repentant. "What did she do?"  
"I-", Rose began, only to be cut off by her mentor.  
"She made a few suggestions about his umm, sexuality and anatomy." Dimitri said, shooting Rose a look.  
"The way I said it was better.", Rose grumbled, settling into a chair.  
"And you brought her here?", Alberta asked, ignoring the teenager.  
"Yes."  
"Not Headmistress?"  
"Headmistress has washed her hands off.", Dimitri said exasperatedly. "Normally, I'd be the one punishing her, but I thought you might have a….more _creative_ suggestion, get better results than me."  
"He thinks you can show me the light.", Rose mocked, rolling her eyes.  
"Maybe I can", Alberta speculated, narrowing her eyes in thought.  
"Yeah, right", Rose snorted.  
Alberta looked at her, then him, and then smiled slyly.  
"Belikov", Alberta addressed the guardian "How would you like to see some of Rose's baby photos? I'm sure I have some here." She gestured her hand grandly around her room.  
"You wouldn't.", Rose muttered darkly, glaring at the older woman.  
"Ah! But I would", Alberta said cheerily, rummaging through her desk drawers.  
"Alberta!", Rose exclaimed. "You can't do this!"  
Alberta paid her no heed, and Dimitri settled against the wall, eyes flickering between the two women.  
"Here they are.", Alberta exclaimed after awhile, straightening up with a yellowed envelope in hand. "What do you wanna see first Belikov- diapers or braces?"  
"Stop! Wait!", Rose shouted before Dimitri could comment. "I'll do it! I'll behave. But he doesn't get to see those, okay?"  
"You'll _behave_?", Alberta asked incredulously, fanning herself with the photos.  
"I'll try my best", Rose acceded.  
"Not good enough", Alberta said, extending the envelope towards Dimitri.  
"I will, I will, okay?", Rose promised, jumping up to stand between the two guardians. "But he doesn't see these _ever._ Okay?"  
"Good girl", Alberta smiled smugly, placing the envelope in her drawer. After a few more comments, Alberta dismissed the mentor-student duo and returned to her papers, a smile on her face.

* * *

As they walked towards the novice dorms, Rose couldn't help but notice the amused smirk on Dimitri's face.  
"Shut up", she snapped.  
"I didn't say anything", Dimitri said with a chuckle. Rose groaned and hastened her pace, but Dimitri kept up.  
"You don't fight fair, Comrade", Rose complained, coming to a halt in front of her door.  
"All's fair in love and war, Roza.", Dimitri said affectionately. Lowering his voice, he added, "And with you, it's always a bit of both."  
Then he turned around and walked away, leaving a gaping Rose in his wake.

**Thank you for reading! Please Review! :D**


	24. Chapter 24

**Drabble:24**  
**POV:Third Person**

His eyes followed her around the room. She was a real beauty, with a killer body and a face worthy of a goddess. And she seemed oblivious to the tons of eyes following her every move. The moroi man disengaged himself from his companions and leaned against a pillar, to peruse_ her_ more leisurely.  
She was short in stature, even shorter than the average dhampir, but she had a way of carrying herself that made her seem taller. She was beautiful, even with the drab guardian uniform and her sleek ponytail. And powerful. Even with the uniform, it was apparent that she had a lean, sinewy body. And she was in full-guardian mode, eyes roving everywhere as she followed her charge. Her eyes darting across the room met his for a long second. He was besotted. He had never seen such an attractive woman, _ever_-a real femme fatale. And_ he_ wanted _her_.  
Across the room, the object of his attraction was well aware of the eyes following her, but she paid them no heed for she was on duty. She was flattered by how many men approached her, but she didn't flirt bad. Firstly, it would hamper her reputation, and secondly, she was waiting for_ him_. The tanned moroi with the green silk shirt. Who was following her with an over-interested, almost possessive, look, from his spot near the pillar, but didn't approach her. Not _yet_, anyway.  
The man and the woman played the cat and mouse game throughout the evening, giving each other sly, challenging glances. It was both thrilling and frustrating. For more reasons than one.

At the end of the night, the female went out to scout the area for strigois with half a dozen other guardians. Seeing that, the male bade goodbye to his hosts and left.

As she returned from scouting, a hand pulled her into a deserted corridor before she could reenter the banquet hall. A quick glance revealed _him_, so she went along without protesting.

Pushing her against a wall, he kissed her. A passionate, fierce kiss that she couldn't help responding to. At that moment, she wasn't a lowly dhampir and he wasn't an influential moroi- they were just a man and woman. When they finally broke apart, they studied each other silently, bodies still pressed together.  
"Did you think I'd let you leave without kissing you, sweetheart?", the man purred in her ear.

"If you continue this way, we'll be caught", she chastised him.  
"Does it matter?", he scoffed. "I want you, and you want me. Why should we let the opinion of others stop us?"

"I don't want you", she retorted.

"Of course you don't", he grinned wickedly and kissed her again.

"I'm not gonna sleep with you", she said, and pushed him away. Straightening her uniform, she started to walk away.

"So you say now, beauty queen", he called after her. "You'll be mine yet."

"Goodnight, Abe", she replied, just before disappearing around the corner.

"Goodnight, Jay", he smiled, and walked towards the orchard where his guardians awaited. Ibrahim Mazur was in love, and Janine Hathaway was gonna be his, he would ensure that.

**Thank You for reading!:D**


	25. Chapter 25

**Drabble:25**  
**POV:Third Person**

Every year, the court had all service guardians go through exercise drills to ensure they were fit for duty. This year, Dimitri fell into a team supervised by Janine and Alberta. While working one particularly hot day, the male guardians shed their shirts, even the women stripped down to tanktops. All except Dimitri. After a particularly strenuous drill, even Janine asked him to lose his shirt, but he very politely declined.  
"Belikov, I insist. The weather is terrible, and you are sweating like a pig. I don't want Rose to complain I'm treating you inhumanely.", she joked lightly. He again declined.

Alberta joined in too. "Dimitri, Janine and I are the only females here, and as far as I know, all males in our team are straight" she joked, trying to make him less uncomfortable. "So don't be shy. Take off your shirt"

Dimitri mumbled something about people watching. Looking around, the two women saw everyone else watching the trio with undisguised interest, ignoring their _actual_ work. Their inquisitiveness along with Belikov's reticence caused Janine's temper to flare.

"You all get to work _now_!", she snapped at the men. "If I see any of you as much as glancing here, I'll recommend you for another drill. With Guardian Owen." The threat worked. Guardian Owen was notorious for being a hard-ass slave-driver.

"And you", she said, glaring towards the 6'7'' guardian. "Stop being a prude. It's hot out here and you're sweating. So take off your shirt. That's an order."  
"I'll do it if you insist", Dimitri acceded, after taking a peek to ensure that only the two women had eyes on him. When they nodded, he added "But I'm sure you'll agree why I shouldn't." He sighed, but tugged off his shirt, leaving his upper body bare.

The two women gaped at him for a long minute, then exchanged a shocked look. Poor Dimitri looked at the ground pointedly, shuffling his feet. It wasn't because he had a great physique, _which he did_, but the sight that left the two women gaping was of the many bruises along his collarbone, shoulders and chest, all in various stages of healing. All of the same shape. It was very obvious how he had come by them.

Struggling to regain their composure, the two guardians looked away from Dimitri and the lovebites on his body. Taking the opportunity, Dimitri slipped on his shirt.  
"Umm, Belikov", Alberta began uncomfortably. "You can start your drill now. And let's…umm, the last five minutes never happened, okay?"

Dimitri nodded sheepishly and walked away. And Alberta turned towards her colleague. Janine was still trying to come to terms with witnessing the evidence(s) of her daughter's sexual exploits. And frankly, it was both mortifying and unnerving.

"Janine, Rose is as much my daughter as yours, and _that _was frankly disturbing. But right now duty calls, so let's just pretend that didn't happen. Furthermore, let's avoid meeting by just us three anytime soon, copy?" Janine nodded weakly, shuddering slightly, then returned back to work.

For days after that, whenever either woman came across Rose and Dimitri, she couldn't help shuddering, which usually caused Dimitri to blush. It was weeks before they could hold an actual conversation without cringing. None of them mentioned the incident_ ever_ again.

**Sorry for the late update, and thank you for reading! Cheers! :D**


	26. Chapter 26

**Drabble:26**  
**POV:Third Person**

He tried his best to get over those days, and yes, he had forgiven himself for all that happened those four months, but that didn't mean he could forget them. Every once in a while, something would set him off- some perfume, someone's face- and he'd be taken back to the darkest period of his life. And the flashbacks would start. He'd feel the monster taunting him.

He'd see the faces, remember the look of terror and the screams of his hapless victims- people who, because of him, had been ripped apart from their loved ones. Who'd never go home, who'd never smile or cry again. Who'd never live again. He'd remember the cruel satisfaction he had felt draining their lives. And he'd hate himself. He'd despise himself. He would be racked with intolerable guilt.

He'd keep his distance from others, afraid that the monster would unleash itself. He'd be afraid to look into mirrors, afraid that the merciless face and the red-ringed eyes would gaze back at him. And he'd hate himself for being weak, for not having enough control. He'd want to curl up into a ball, and let the guilt take over.  
Then, he'd remember. He'd remember the promise he'd made to Rose, _his_ Roza, and he'd breathe again.

He'd treated her abominably, but she'd come back to him, she'd loved him, she'd raised the dead in him. She'd forgiven him. If she could forgive him, he knew that he had no right despising himself. It was the monster who had been the grim reaper. It was _he_ who had reveled in killing, in hunting, in ripping apart people. Dimitri wasn't _him_.

He wasn't the one who'd been the cold-blooded murderer. He was the man who'd lived, and loved, with a passion. He'd been the man who had been honorable, dutiful, untainted. And he'd be that again, he'd go back to what Rose jokingly called all his former godly glories, and he'd live again. He could never right what the monster had wronged, he could never untaint himself, but he could believe again.

Dimitri would look up from where he'd averted his eyes to the ground and unclench his fist, which had become his coping mechanism for not breaking down when the memories came back. And his eyes, scoping out the area, would clash with a pair of lovely dark eyes. Eyes that spoke to him without words. Eyes that held love and faith and confidence in him. And his shadows would leave him.

He'd cross the floor, the hell with being a stoic guardian, and engulf the girl with the knowing eyes in a hug. He'd hold her in a tight embrace, and they'd stand together, wordlessly, feeling their hearts beating synchronously. And it would be enough, he'd come home. His Roza had made him whole. The monster would recede into the recess of his mind, and Dimitri dared to hope, that with his angel, he'd defeat it too…_someday_.

**Thank you for reading!**  
**PS-Reviewing doesn't hurt, you know :p**


	27. Chapter 27

**Drabble:27**  
**POV:Rose**

The day started out normally. Dimitri and I woke up and after breakfast, reported for duty after exchanging 'I love you's. Only when we returned home did things go downhill.  
It was our first 'couple's fight'. And it started over something so trivial. We'd both been under a lot of pressure with the present conditions in court, but one simple comment cracked the dam of our patience. Dimitri asked me to clean out our living room, and I accused him of being a slavedriver. He'd retorted with how childish I was acting and I lost it. From my childish behavior we moved onto his self righteousness_, fine I called it prissiness_, moving to a plethora of offensive comments that neither of us really meant. After screaming at each other for a dreadful quarter-hour, _fine I yelled while his voice remained level_, I stormed out of the apartment to work out in the gym.

Two hours later, Dimitri walked in. He watched me annihilate two guardians in combat. Then, handed me a water bottle. I took it without meeting his eyes and walked away. He left soon, without one word to me.  
After another two hours, I walked back to our apartment, exhausted but wary. We had never fought like this before, and I didn't know where we stood right now. We'd both said some pretty horrid things, which we needed to discuss.  
Taking a deep breath, I unlocked the door and walked in. The entire apartment was spotless. My uniform was ironed and folded over a sofa a Tupperware box containing pasta was on the table-my dinner. All the books, DVDs and photo frames were arranged symmetrically. The floor was vacuumed. Laundry done. While I'd been boxing to Nine Inch Nails, Dimitri had been cleaning.

A pang of guilt shot through me for both ignoring him at the gym, and seeing his handiwork. But I was resolute, we had to talk about our fight. He knew better than anyone how I hated it when called a child, yet he had used it against me. Then again, I had known how he hated messes. With a deep sigh, I _finally_ approached our bedroom.

I stood at the doorway for a moment, observing Dimitri by the soft light from the hallway. Thankfully he was asleep, but he had a slight crease to his forehead. I changed into one of his tees and slipped into bed, both physically and emotionally drained. I scooted over to the edge, trying to not disturb him.

But I guess old habits die hard, because the moment I slipped in, he rolled over and wrapped his arm around me. Still asleep. And no longer frowning.  
Words he said long ago came back to me, _I feel more at peace when I'm with you_.

And I turned over and wrapped my arms around him, snuggling closer.  
The next morning, I woke to Dimitri tracing patterns on my shoulder. He smiled and whispered I love you. I whispered the words back to him. And just like that our fight was over. We had both been stressed and we'd both been unintentionally hurtful. But we loved each other, and really, that's all that mattered.

**Thank you for reading! Please review!**  
**PS- Assignments suck. I blame them for irregular updates. Sorry!**


	28. Chapter 28

**Drabble:28**  
**POV:Dimitri**

"Don't they usually come to the Academy? I mean I'm all for the field trip, but why are we going to them?" she asked me, playing with the belt buckle.  
"Actually you're going to a him, not a them." I said. "Since this is a special case and he's doing us a favor, we're the ones making the trip."  
"Who is he?" she asked. I slowed the car slightly and peeked at her before dropping the bomb.  
"Arthur Schoenberg."  
"What?" She squeaked. Oh her face! I wish I had my camera to capture the moment. Maybe if I sped up, the traffic camera would catch it? On second thought, Alberta would kill me if I oversped.  
"Wasn't anyone else available?" She sounded so horrified, I had to bite my lip to keep from smiling. Punching Moroi? No problem. Facing Art? Soooo screwed!  
"You'll be fine. Besides, if Art approves of you, that's a great recommendation to have on your record."  
If anything, my assurance made her more nervous. She fidgeted in her seat, frowning to herself. I wanted to comfort her, assure her of my absolute faith in her, but due to our far from platonic relationship, I couldn't risk it. She was also worried over the running-away-with-Lissa situation. _That_ I could assuage.  
"You'll be fine. The good in your record outweighs the bad."  
"Thanks coach." She smirked, relaxing slightly.  
"I'm here to help."  
"You know what would really help?" Rose teased.  
Hugging you? Perhaps kissing you? Ignoring my thoughts, which were spiraling in a dangerous direction, I managed a distracted Hmm as reply.  
"If you turned off this crap music and put on something that came out after the Berlin Wall went down." Oh, Roza. I had been playing Prince just to get on her nerves, and she _finally_ noticed.  
"Your worst class is history, yet somehow, you know everything about Eastern Europe." I laughed, trying to ignore my disappointment at her not wanting _me_. Good God was I pathetic!  
"Gotta have material for my jokes, Comrade." She quipped.  
Biting my lip again, I switched the dial to country. She didn't exactly say what to change to. Her expression was priceless. Damn! I _had_ to start carrying my camera from now on.  
"Hey!" She exclaimed, outraged. "This isn't what I had in mind." She looked so adorable, it took every ounce of my willpower to not lean over and hug her..  
"Pick. It's one or the other." I teased, glad to have _my_ Roza back.  
"Go back to the 1980's stuff." She grumbled, pouting slightly. So cute!  
We drove in comfortable silence for sometime after that. But, since it was Rose, the silence couldn't last long. "Comrade?", she nudged after fifteen minutes. Fifteen, I was shocked! "Could we stop for food? I'm hungry."  
"We're on a schedule, Rose", I replied, but headed towards the nearest McDonalds anyway.  
"Come on!", she whined, and began to list why I shouldn't deprive her of "healthy food" and how it would be my fault if she fainted in front of Art.

We bickered till we reached McDonalds. After one look at the golden arch, she flashed me her dazzling smile. Goddamn it, where was my camera! Surprising me with a quick hug, she jumped out of the car, beelining for the door. I followed, chuckling, trying to convince myself that I was happy because of Roza's antics, not because of our hug.

**This is another POV of a scene from Frostbite and not an original. Hope you enjoy! Oh, and review, please!**


	29. Chapter 29

**Drabble:29**  
**POV" Third Person**

"No I'm not.", Dimitri said.

Dimitri was rarely taken by complete surprise, but this definitely made the list. Ivan just barged into Dimitri's room and thrust a plane ticket at him, announcing his leave.  
"As your charge, I'm ordering you to.", Ivan announced, crossing his arms.  
"My duty as your guardian is to protect you, and I can't do that all the way from Russia now, can I?", Dimitri said patiently, closing the western he was reading.  
"Dimka, you've been guarding me non-stop for 4 years except for one-week vacations every year, and that is frankly disturbing. And it's pretty apparent you miss your folks. Besides, I got Gordon to protect me. So go home, be happy.", Ivan insisted.  
"Ivan. I love this job. I get to travel places because you're always globe-trotting. It's fun. I'm happy.", Dimitri said simply.  
"You won't know happiness if it hit you in the face with a stripper pole.", Ivan muttered darkly, settling on his best friend's couch. "All I'm saying is, go back to the commune, see your family. You miss them. Oh, and get laid. You need to."

"No I don't.", Dimitri sighed, remembering their many conversations on this topic.  
"Yeah, you do."  
"I don't have time for flings."  
"Sex doesn't always come with baggage.", Ivan insisted, typing away on his cell phone.

"Zeklos, I've been around you long enough to know that it does. So don't tell me otherwise."

"D, you're a 22 year old handsome, hot blooded Russian virgin. Notice the odd one here?"

"Is there something you're not telling me, V?", Dimitri joked, fluttering his eyelashes.

"Oh Dimka!", Ivan screeched in a high falsetto. "I'm done pretending! I love you. Never leave me, darling."

"Never, sugarplum. I love you too.", Dimitri said dryly, causing the two friends to burst into laughter.

"Jokes aside, you need to loosen up. I know that crap line you feed every female about responsibility, duty, blah blah blah….but seriously man, chill. I'm not saying have a relationship, just…get laid.", Ivan finished cheerfully. "But for now, go home. Hunt polar bear or whatever the hell you Russians do."

"I'll think about it.", Dimitri acceded, knowing arguing with Ivan was useless when he had his mind set.

"Nuh-uh. I already bought your tickets. Flight's in 2 hours. I'm not taking no for an answer.", Ivan announced, narrowing his eyes for effect.

"Fine. But if you need me, whatever the reason, call me. Anytime.", Dimitri ordered. "Also, I'll be calling Gordon every evening for updates, so don't do anything stupid."

"Fine. I'll behave, daddy.", Ivan said, rolling his eyes. "You're such a kill-joy, Dimka. Only you'd manage to ruin my fun from halfway across the world."

"I'm gonna miss you, buddy.", Dimitri smiled at his friend.

"On the off-chance of sounding like a sap, me too. Now get packing, before we hug, cry and confess our deepest secrets.", Ivan got up and headed for the door.

"And D?", Ivan said from the doorway. "Get laid."

"Goodbye, V.", Dimitri smiled, shaking his head.

"Give my best to Olena. See ya, Dimka.", Ivan gave his trademark half-smirk and disappeared.

That was the last time Dimitri saw his best friend alive, laughing warmly, wearing jeans and a blue sweater that clashed with his midnight blue eyes.. The same clothes Ivan was wearing when he got mauled by strigoi three days later.

**Thank You for reading! Please Review!**


	30. Chapter 30

**Drabble:30**

**POV:Third Person**

Most people thought Christian and Lissa first met in the attic. But that wasn't true. They'd met once before, and yes, it was love at first sight for him. Even Lissa didn't know how long he'd loved her. Or recall how they'd first met.

After Christian's parents' death, people avoided him like the plague. Nobody talked to him, but they whispered behind his back. When teachers gave group assignments, he ended up working alone. He'd have to play games by himself, looking on wistfully as the other kids played tag. And Christian hated it, hated how his parent's mistake had ruined _his _life. But, if anything, Christian was proud. He refused to ask for help, to initiate conversations. Why should he try when noone else did?

That changed when Christian was 14, when he met Lissa. He had been walking from the library to his dorm, arm laden with books and notes. Then, he tripped on the staircase and the books all fell around him. There were atleast twenty other people there, but no one came forward to help. No one even acknowledged his fall, or asked if he was okay. Christian crouched down to collect his things, eyes downcast to hide the tears pooling in his eyes from scraping his knee. After gathering his stuffs, he stood up stiffly and began to walk away.  
"Hey!', a voice called out. And again. It took him a few moments to realize that he was being addressed. Turning around, he faced a blond girl with jade eyes and pigtails. She wasn't wearing the reluctant scowl that most people wore when they had to directly address him. Instead she was smiling. Smiling at him.  
"I think you dropped this", she smiled again, holding up a notebook. Not just any notebook, but Christian's sketchbook.

Christian murmured a thank you and hastily took it from her outstretched hand. He expected her to walk away, but she didn't. Instead she said, "Your notebook fell open, and I couldn't help but notice how beautiful your sketches are."

Christian was confused. He hadn't had a casual conversation for so long, he didn't know what to say. So he stood there, gaping at her. She mistook his silence for anger, so she began to ramble. "I'm really sorry for invading your privacy. But your notebook was open. I swear I didn't-"  
"Which one?", Christian interrupted her.  
"Sorry?", she asked him, confused.

"Which one did you like?", Christian clarified, gesturing at his sketchbook.  
"Oh, umm…the one of the whitebark pines outside the library."  
Christian nodded and wordlessly tore out the sketch and held it out to her. The girl looked surprised, and protested that she couldn't take it, but Christian was adamant. She took it and hugged it to her chest, thanking him profusely. Before he could reply, a feminine voice called up the stairwell, "Hey Lissa! Come on! I'm getting old, waiting for you". The blonde-Lissa- looked down and smiled.  
"I have to go, Rose is waiting. But thank you for the picture. Take care.", she smiled at him kindly and walked away. Christian watched her go, a soft smile on his face. He was in love, with a pretty blond angel named Lissa. Lissa, who'd helped him, talked to him. Lissa, who hadn't held his family history against him. Lissa, whose beautiful eyes inspired a sketch out of him as soon as he reached his room. It was nice to know that someone cared.

**Thank you for reading! Please review! :D**


	31. Chapter 31

**Drabble:31  
POV:Third Person**

"Where's Rose? She was supposed to be here half an hour ago!", Mia complained, stretching out on the couch.  
"She's probably training. And lost track of time.", Lissa said patiently, rearranging the DVDs. She, Mia and Rose were supposed to be enjoying a movie night, but Rose, as usual, was late.  
"Training?", Mia snorted. "Yeah right, that other day she complained about her legs hurting like a bitch after just jogging 2 miles."  
"I meant training with Dimitri.", Lissa amended with a small smile.  
"Oh."  
"Yeah."  
"I say we go and pick her up. We're already missing prime gossip time, I don't wanna miss the movies too.", Mia announced, standing up.  
"Yeah, let's go.", Lissa agreed, and the two girls started towards the gym at Court.

Peeking into the gym, they found Rose easily. Well, it was hard to miss her really, because there were only two people there. Rose, and her mentor-turned-boyfriend Dimitri. Dimitri was doing one-handed push ups on the floor while Rose practiced chin-ups on the high bars.  
Despite their workout, or maybe because of it and the solitary time they got to spend together, both guardians had huge smiles on their faces. Seeing Rose looking so content and at peace was surprising itself, but watching Dimitri, master of the stoic guardian mask, looking so cheerful was downright shocking.

As the two moroi exchanged astonished looks, Dimitri got up from the floor and walked to Rose. Placing both hands around hers, he too started doing chin-ups. Behind her. Around her. With her. Their bodies pressed together, moving in sync, so sensuously. He murmured into Rose's ears, while she, in one insane move, twisted around and wrapped her legs around his torso, pressing closer. They continued their exercise, wrapped around each other, imitating the movements of the activity they undoubtedly would engage in later that evening.

Both Mia and Lissa tore their eyes from their friend and the man whom they had previously considered a straitlaced, prudish guardian. Blushing fiercely, they retracted their steps towards the lounge, collapsing once they got there.  
"Well, that was…", Lissa stopped, unsure of how to continue.  
"Yeah", Mia laughed nervously, fanning her face for effect. "I don't know about you, but I'm suddenly not in the mood for a chick flick anymore."

"Reschedule for tomorrow?", Lissa asked, trying to keep her voice from shaking.  
"Sure", Mia announced, already heading towards the door. "I'll go see if Theo is off duty. Bye". With that, she disappeared to find her on/off dhampir boyfriend.  
As for Lissa, she flipped open her phone and hit speed dial. "Chris", she purred breathlessly.  
"Why do I feel like I'm about to get lucky tonight?", her boyfriend teased lightly.  
"Meet me in my room and find out", Lissa replied seductively, redirecting her steps to her destination.  
"Already on my way", Christian replied and hung up.

**A little smutty, I know. But thanks for reading ;)**


	32. Chapter 32

**Drabble:32  
POV:Third Person**

After things had relatively calmed down between the gang, Rose and Dimitri were entreated by their friends to recount their love story. The boys, wary of any sappy emotional event, decided to have a Night Out (no strip club or Rose would castrate each and every one of them for corrupting her poor, innocent Dimitri) and the girls decided to sleep over at the west wing of the moroi palace, where Lissa had recently taken residence, to escape the unpleasant memories connected with the Royal suite.  
So, that evening, Eddie, Christian, Mikhail, Adrian and Abe(volunteered by Janine) collected Dimitri from his and Rose's apartment and left, after a final threat by Rose to not, under any circumstance or emergency (yes, this was directed at Adrian), enter strip clubs. After they left, Rose packed up her jammies and made her way to palace with Viktoria, who'd come over to spend her summer vacation with Dimitri and Rose. Once there, Rose found Lissa, Mia and Jill giggling over a plethora of girly magazines, featuring some extremely buffed-up and droolworthy men, not that _any _of them compared to _her _Russian God. On a futon, Sydney sat alone, eyeing the moroi girls warily.  
The boys went to a dive bar, and Dimitri in his efficient guardian way, recounted the tale, over two rounds of beer. He didn't elaborate details, his private nature wouldn't allow that, and hoped they'd let it be. But Christian and Adrian, spotting a golden opportunity, made suggestive comments and innuendos that made poor Dimitri squirm uncomfortably. This made the entourage laugh and put them all in a jolly mood. They were done with the story in an hour, after which they had dinner and then played darts. They moved on to sports, Court politics and a competition of dude-you're-so-whipped, which surprisingly revealed Abe to be the most whipped guy. Not that anyone _dared_ to comment on it. Later on, they returned to Adrian's apartment, except Mikhail and Abe, and played video games. It was a fun time for the guys.  
Meanwhile, the girls changed into their jammies and sat around Rose. She answered their questions for the better (or worse, depending on how you look at it) part of three and a half hours. The story was dragged out of her, bit by little bit. The girls oohed and aahed at the appropriate places, giggling and rolling into one another. Even Sydney ventured a few questions. But Mia asked the most outrageous ones, which Rose answered just as animatedly, which made the Moroi girls fan their faces and left Sydney and Viktoria looking horrified. After the inquisition, (yes inquisition, Rose claimed), they discussed nothing and everything over pizza and chocolate mousse. They watched movies, gossiped and talked till they were exhausted. Then, they fell asleep on the Persian carpet, limbs entangled together, happy with their night in.  
In the wee hours of dawn, two figures met by the palace's entryway. The couple embraced, without one word, and spent a long time gazing and caressing each other. Telling their story had made them nostalgic, so the only words uttered were to declare their love. Rose and Dimitri walked back to their apartment, and fell asleep in each other's arms.

**Hey guys! Hope you enjoyed! Review please! And please check out my new fanfic entitled 'Ivan's gift'. Cheers!**


	33. Chapter 33

**Drabble:33  
POV:Third Person**

The night of the lust charm, Dimitri had 'loaned' Rose a T-shirt of his, a blue-grey one that he had bought long ago in Russia, a T-shirt that he retrieved from her the first chance he got.

He didn't think much about her or the T-shirt, and he _especially_ didn't think of her in _his_ T-shirt, a T-shirt that he had worn hundreds of times before. _No_, he didn't at all think about Rose in his T-shirt and he didn't try to sniff out her wonderful smell when he wore it again. _Not at all._

Then, Spokane happened and Rose started to have nightmares- vivid, dreadful nightmares that made her scream bloody murder in the middle of the night. Nightmares that would make her pace around her room restlessly or ball in on herself till either Dimitri or Alberta showed up during their nightly patrols and coaxed her back to sleep.

One such night, when Dimitri came to check up on her, he found her balled on her floor, trembling. After he persuaded her back to bed, she grabbed his hand, already half-asleep, and pulled him towards her. "Stay, please", she requested him in such an innocent voice that Dimitri had to comply. He sighed, but climbed onto her bed, reclining against the headboard, and watched as Rose's drooping eyes finally closed and her breathing evened out. He sat with her for hours, stroking her hair. Rose slept like a baby that night.  
When Rose woke up the following morning, she was hit by the smell of Dimitri's aftershave. She opened her eyes and focused on what awaited her at the end of her bed. A slow smile crept on her face, and she closed her eyes for a short nap again, relaxing for the first time in a long while.  
The following night, when Alberta came to check up on Rose, she found the teenage dhampir sleeping peacefully, a smile on her face, clutching a grayish T-shirt to her chest. Since then, Rose hardly woke up due to her Spokane nightmares, and when she did, she'd hug the Dimitri's memento and feel okay again. That sole souvenir of Dimitri helped keep her nightmares at bay and reminded her of everything that she had in her life that was worth living for.

**You guys made my day with your positive response to Ivan's Gift. I gotta confess that after I fired up my PC this morning, I clapped like a retarded seal for sometime, so thank you! You guys rock! Oh, and REVIEW please! Cheers!**


	34. Chapter 34

**Drabble:34  
POV:Third Person**

Walking into the attic, Lissa found it empty. She consulted her watch. Nope, she was on time. But where was Christian? Normally he'd arrive before her. Then again, he'd been acting weird all week. Oh God, she panicked suddenly, is he gonna break up with me? Lissa's breathing hitched and her hands felt clammy. She felt physically sick.  
He had become so important to her, she couldn't bear the thought of losing him. He had seen Lissa, not Princess Dragomir, and had accepted her, Aside from Rose, he was the only soul who made her feel safe, and loved. She couldn't contemplate if….  
A few days ago, she'd expressed her doubts to Rose, who had laughed it off. Rose said that even someone blind could see Christian's devotion to Lissa. Rose had reassured Lissa and eased her doubts. But now, those doubts gnawed at Lissa's mind.  
Christian stood at the doorway, staring at the beautiful blonde, who seemed more angelic than corporeal. She evoked such strong emotions in him, emotions he hadn't known he could feel. Which is why, he was nervous. He knew that she knew something was up, but he was glad that she hadn't confronted him yet. And now, now it was time for him to bare his mind. Only, he didn't know how to. So he stood there, watching his angel, trying to gather courage.

Lissa was so out of it that she shrieked when a voice behind her softly called "Boo". Spinning around, Lissa faced Christian's sparkling eyes and trademark smirk.  
"Haha, real mature Chris", Lissa groaned, sinking into the seat again.  
"Worked, didn't it?", Christian replied, coming to seat beside her. "Now, what were you thinking about so hard that I managed to scare the crap out of you?"  
"Nothing. Just random stuff", Lissa lied hastily, fidgeting uneasily.  
"Liss, you suck at lying.", Christian commented dryly, pausing to appraise the blush spreading across her cheek. "Let me guess, you were thinking about…..us?"  
Her head shot up really fast, confirming his guess. "Thought so. Well, about that, we need to talk", he continued. For a second, panic flashed in her eyes, then it was gone. She looked serene again.  
Christian puzzled over that, but he had managed to start talking, so he plowed on. "You've probably noticed, I've been acting weird all week", he began casually. "Well, that's because I gotta tell you something. And I don't know how to. So I've been stalling. Which probably has given you a clusterfuck of wrong ideas, so I'll just come out with the truth. But first..", he trailed off.  
Lissa watched him inhale sharply, and she, too took a steadying breath, preparing for the worst. As she stared at him, all around them candles she hadn't noticed before lit up. She appraised them for a moment before turning to him. "New trick?", she smiled.  
He smiled slightly, then became serious again. "Look…you know that I'm not exactly all raindrops and roses, so I'll give it to you straight. I love you, Lissa. I've loved you since we first met. I love you and all your little quirks, your genuine goodness and your beautiful mind. I've never felt this way before, and I thought you should know. So, yeah".  
Lissa stared at him uncomprehendingly, taking in his words. He went from looking hopeful to dejected before her eyes. He loves me, she registered finally, then launched herself at him. Christian embraced her, feeling their connection burning brightly. He felt happy, relieved that she finally knew. And then, all his dreams came true. "Chris", Lissa spoke softly, cupping his face with her hands. "I love you"

Christian felt so elated he didn't know what to do. So he hugged her again. "That's all I need", he whispered into her hair. "That's all I'll ever need".

**Thank you for reading! Please review!**


	35. Chapter 35

**Drabble:35  
POV:Third Person**

Lissa had gone through the day of her coronation without fumbling. She'd been stressed, but she had already accepted her fate as the leader of the Moroi society. She was a Dragomir, undaunted by the overbearing royals. Lissa was looking forward to commencing her duties….during the day.  
At night, after the ceremony and revelry was done, when Rose and Dimitri escorted her to her sleeping quarters, she was still upbeat, albeit being exhausted. Only after Rose had left, after giving a ridiculous bow, and Lissa had changed for the night, did she feel the first sign of uneasiness.  
Remembering what had occurred just weeks ago in the Royal chamber- Christian's aunt Tasha murdering Adrian's great-aunt Tatiana- made her feel edgy. Everywhere she looked, she seemed to see blood, on the sheer curtains, on the ivory walls, on the plush Persian rug…everywhere. And then, her eyes fell on the bed, the bed where Tatiana had gone to sleep, oblivious to her fate; the bed where Natasha Ozera had snuck up on an unsuspecting, defenseless woman and murdered her; the bed where the dead monarch had slept for about 2 decades…the bed that was now Lissa's to sleep in. Lissa couldn't help but visualize the dreadful scene panning out in front of her, over and over again. And it made her feel nauseous. The fragrance of the Chanel perfume that Tatiana used to wear still wafted in the air. It didn't help either. And for the first time since her coronation, Lissa felt afraid, vulnerable and inadequate. The walls of the room seemed to be closing in and Lissa began to hyperventilate-she wanted to, no needed to, get out of the accursed room.  
Accompanied by the two guardians posted outside her bedroom, she padded down to Dimitri's apartment, where Rose was staying over. She would be safe with the duo, and so could dismiss her escorts; also, she didn't want to go to Christian, not in this situation. Dimitri good-naturedly listened to Lissa explain her predicament before dismissing the guards. He led her into the cluttered den of the apartment, and made her tea, while Rose stroked her hair and listened to her vent. After calming Lissa down (and having a hushed conversation with Dimitri), Rose took Lissa to the bedroom. The room was sparsely furnished, and the bed was made with a simple linen cover (undoubtedly what Dimitri had been doing while the girls talked). After apologizing to Dimitri (who'd be sleeping on the couch) for the very unconventional inconvenience, Lissa got into bed. Rose also climbed in and hummed a lullaby that Rhea used to sing to Lissa. Feeling safe and comfortable, Lissa drifted off to sleep.  
Her bed back at the Royal chamber might have been made of the best quality mahogany, and furnished with the most luxurious mattresses and pillows, but it didn't have the comfort and safety that the hard bed in Dimitri's apartment offered. This bed hadn't seen murder, this room wasn't haunted by the smell of blood, in fact it smelled of citrus air-freshener, and here Lissa wasn't surrounded by the guardians who'd be watching her sleep. Here, she was surrounded by friends who felt more like family. This was a place where she could be just Lissa, only if for a night.

**Guys, I'm so so sorry for not updating before today. My terms start in a week, and I'm swamped by assignments! Having said that, thank you for sticking around. I hope you enjoy this, and don't forget to review! Cheers!**


	36. Chapter 36

**Drabble:36  
POV:Third Person**

Rose had her 'plans-for-the-future', which mostly were about guarding Lissa for as long as possible; and after she met Dimitri, he too factored into her plans….soul mates, you know? Other than that, her plans were about lifelong friendships, travelling the world, having a happy family-life and basically enjoying her life to the fullest.  
Never in her wildest dreams had university education crossed her mind. Ever. But Lissa wanted to experience university, and Rose, as her friend, advisor and guardian, also had to make the transition. So, despite her reluctance (_Come on! She passed the academy, was further education __really__ necessary?_), she went too. At first, she wasn't much invested in the education, she only sought passable grades, but Lissa insisted that Rose choose her own electives. Which put Rose in a dilemna, I mean why should she waste her time studying some crap while she could be breezing by Lissa's courses with her help? But Lissa was adamant that Rose chose her own courses-she wanted Rose to enjoy her own educational experience, or so she said; to Rose it was retribution, a punishment for keeping secrets from Lissa so long, _not that she __dared__ tell Lissa that._

After much protesting and being ignored by Lissa, Rose began to research…_finally_. She first inspected the courses and electives offered, then investigated some that seemed appealing; finally deciding on a few courses, just to placate Lissa…_or so she said_. For throughout the academic year, she studied-_actually studied_-like researched for classes, attended all lectures (_Stan would be so proud!_), did assignments, even put in some library time. She had support and encouragement from Lissa, and help from Dimitri, who was like the awesomest tutor ever (_fine_, _so he "rewarded" her when she did the coursework properly_). Even then, all she aimed for was a straight B score.  
After the freshman year, Rose returned to Court with Lissa, and promptly forgot about her university experience_. Well, she tried to forget, but the anticipation of her results made her unable to._ Still, at Court, she had too many duties; she couldn't spend time worrying about that.

Then finally, the results got mailed. Lissa's scores were great, _as expected_, and she pulled in a high CGPA. And then, under the watchful eyes of Lissa, Dimitri and an ever-ready-to-mock Christian, Rose uncovered her own results. She took one look at her scores, and promptly dropped the paper. She stood frozen to the spot, and Christian picked up the document. He glanced at it, gasped, and gaped at Rose, eyes bugging out. By now, Lissa was really anxious. Fearing the worst, she seized the paper from Christian and perused it herself.  
"OhmyGod!", she exclaimed, turning to Dimitri, who was looking at Rose with worry. "A+ all the way!"  
Dimitri froze for a moment, then got up and hugged Rose, spinning her around. Lissa and Christian recovered too, and congratulated her. Then, phone calls were placed to Rose's parents, Palm Springs, Russia, Alberta and even Stan (_per Rose's request_); after which, the friends went out to celebrate. And for the first time in her life, Rose looked forward to the next academic year.

**Thank you for reading! Please leave a review and make my day….or night! :p**


	37. Chapter 37

**Drabble:37  
POV:Third Person**

"Primarily, the problem with this…", Rose continued to talk, facing him, sitting cross-legged on the gym floor, but Dimitri wasn't listening. Well, he was _trying_ to, but he just couldn't.  
He had asked her to discuss the pros and cons of a new move, and he _hoped_ she was doing that, because frankly, he wasn't paying any attention to her speech. _Why?_ Well, he was far too busy staring at her, at the way the sunlight was shining on her, creating a halo of light around her features. The soft duskish light illuminated her clear complexion, accentuated her curves and lit up her dark eyes and that beautiful, glossy mane. Dimitri was mesmerized, enthralled by her. She was enchanting him, without even trying. God really must hate him, Dimitri concluded mentally, for He tempted Dimitri with this seductress every waking moment, and even in his dreams. Life really was unfair; he loved her so, so much, but was unable to claim her as his, no matter how much they both wanted to.

But none of these were what was causing Dimitri's self-control to slip. It was the way the sunlight was shining on her lips. Her pouty pink lips, coated with the lipgloss he had bought for her. The lipgloss that had initiated their first hug. The lipgloss she had worn the night of the lust charm. The lipgloss he knew tasted of strawberries because he had tasted it on her. That damned lipgloss was wreaking havoc with his self-restraint now.  
"On the other hand….", Rose droned on, her lips shaping each word seductively, her teeth biting on them every now and then, as she mulled over some response.  
Dimitri was captivated, and he mentally groaned, unable to prevent his physical and emotional reaction to her. Throwing caution to the wind, he leaned forward and grabbed her. She froze, stunned at his boldness, her doe-eyes becoming impossibly wide. Drawing her closer, Dimitri brushed his lips against hers, savoring the sweet taste of her lip-gloss and the feel of her soft lips. At first, she didn't-_well, couldn't_- respond, but once she did, Dimitri couldn't help himself from deepening their kiss, plundering her mouth with his tongue. When they broke apart, he pulled her to his chest, feeling her heart beating furiously, and inhaled that wonderful smell that was uniquely Rose's. When he recovered, he stood up and helped her up.  
"I want you to write up on what we discussed today-", he began.  
"But I just talked about it!", Rose whined, her eyebrows drawing together.  
"Well, I was otherwise occupied, so you'll have to forgive my thoughtlessness", Dimitri said with a smirk, making her blush. "Essay, tomorrow. Class dismissed." She grumbled about his inconsideration, pouting slightly, which made Dimitri chuckle.  
He walked away then, trying to control himself from going back and kissing her senseless. Because if he did, he didn't know how far things would go. A man only has so much self control….

**Thank you for reading.  
PS-I wanna do a Jill/Eddie scene, but nothing good comes to mind….any suggestions?**


	38. Chapter 38

**Drabble:38**

**POV:Third Person**

The dhampir couple was sitting in their den, reading and drinking cocoa. Dimitri was ofcourse reading a western. And beside him, wrapped in a quilt, Rose too was reading. They didn't talk much, but their hands occasionally brushed, and when their eyes met-at intervals-the couple smiled.

Occasionally, Dimitri would pause his own reading to admire his breathtaking girlfriend, who'd not-so-subtlely mumble stalker, causing the two to laugh. But, as she continued reading, Dimitri noticed a pronounced change in her demeanor. Firstly, her eyes widened, then her mouth parted, then she flushed and her neck and cheeks became rosy. Dimitri ditched his book to observe her more leisurely, but Rose failed to notice that. Her wide eyes were fixed on her book, her expression a comical cross between alarm and horror.  
And _then_, suddenly Rose slammed her book shut. _And_ threw it away. _And_ pulled her knees up to her chest, and started rocking. Dimitri immediately asked her what's wrong, but she just shook her head, pale-faced and flustered. Sensing she couldn't answer him, Dimitri picked up her book, and opened it at random. He perused a few pages, and turned to look at her, shock etched across his features.  
"What's _this_?", he choked out. Rose focused on his face, then the book, and then his face again. "Liss said it was fun", Rose explained.

"Do you think it's _fun_?", Dimitri asked neutrally, trying to compose his face. Rose shuddered, but Dimitri couldn't gauge if it was from pleasure, or discomfort. Honestly though, he was still trying to swallow what he had just read- what Rose had been reading for over an hour.

"No", she answered softly. "It-it scared me, frankly. I never imagined….."  
Dimitri sighed in relief, and chucked the book away. He pulled her to himself, instinctively knowing that she needed some close-contact  
"Lissa read_ that_?", Dimitri questioned curiously.  
"Yeah, she liked it too. Apparently, it enriched her sex life. Said it would spice up ours too"

"And here I was thinking our sex-life was extraordinary already", he teased. Rose elbowed him, but answered anyway. "Our sex-life is fan-freaking-tastic. You're the most wonderful man ever, and I'm thankful to God that you're nothing like that-that horny, kinky abuser!." She finished with another shudder.

"I bet Liss read it because the guy's name's Christian.", She commented after awhile. "But what's up with _those_ umm, rules and sex-toys?"

"People can be _very_ strange", Dimitri frowned contemplatively.

"But do people like that _really _exist?", Rose persisted.  
"I wouldn't know Rose", he answered in his this-discussion-is-over-voice. "I've never felt the need to…..how did you say it? Yeah, _spice up_ my sex-life."

"God!" Rose groaned. "What an idiotic girl! How do I erase that from memory?"

Dimitri chuckled and stood up. Kissing her forehead, he teased, "I've heard remedial-sex is a good therapy-form"  
Rose laughed, and let him pull her to her feet. "As if it wasn't already difficult, now I can't look at Christian the same way _ever_." Dimitri chuckled and took her to their bedroom.

After their '_therapy-session_', as she lay atop Dimitri's chest, Rose whispered, "Comrade? I'm glad that you don't have any weird fetishes or didn't force me into anything, and I'm soooo glad you're nothing like that sociopath"  
Dimitri chuckled and decreed that 'the young lady' needed more therapy to forget the trauma, and he provided exactly that.

**Any guesses to what book they're talking about? I don't know about you guys, but my initial reaction to **_**it**_** was actually like this. Anyway, thanks for reading and review please!  
Oh, and to the Guest-reviewer who urged me to update faster, I'd love to, but the problem is I study in the toughest institute in my country and my sadistic teachers love giving assignments, research-work and projects, so I'm unable to update so much. That being said, I'll try my best in future. :D**

**And Dimitrisgirl1971 forgive me if I'm mistaken, but Lee took Jill to the lake, right?**


	39. Chapter 39

**Drabble:39  
POV:Third Person**

It had been over two weeks since Rose last saw Dimitri. With her university schedule, duties as Lissa's guardian and him taking on extra shifts at Court, nowadays they couldn't even find time to talk.  
Rose immersed herself in her studies, went out for sports, even turned to compulsive cleaning, trying to put her ever-growing frustration out of her mind, but it only succeeded to make her more irritable and grumpy. So it was no wonder that on the weekend, a Dimitri-deprived Rose was spending her time alone in her dorm room, while Lissa was out and about with her guardians and new friends. Rose did her homework, kick-boxed for a while trying to drive away her frustration (didn't help one bit), took a shower, ate and then, dropped to bed. She had just fallen asleep, when her phone rang, pissing her off.

"What?", she snapped into the offending device.  
"I woke you." It was _him_. Her pulse quickened at the mere sound of his beautiful voice. She sat bolt upright, totally awake now.  
"That's okay.", she replied casually, trying to calm her heartbeat.  
"I need to see you.", he said softly.  
Rose didn't want to whine about how much she missed him, so she tried to change the topic. "Where are you?"  
"In the hallway outside your door."  
"What!", she exclaimed, standing up. Just then, a knock resounded on her door. She dropped her phone and raced to the door.  
"What are you doing out there?", she asked him through the door.  
"Trying to be patient.", he replied simply and the desire to throw herself into his arms shook her.

With trembling hands, she unlocked the deadbolt and flung open the door to find him standing in his brown duster, clutching an overnight bag, his handsome face lined with exhaustion. She stood there, unblinking, afraid that he'd vanish if she closed her eyes.

Dimitri looked her over, then stepped inside, shut the door behind him, and drew her into his embrace. "God, I've missed you!", he mumbled into her hair.

"I missed you, too!" She buried her face against his neck.

They stood there, arms locked around each other, swaying slightly. They didn't utter one word, instead poured all their love into long, significant looks, soft kisses and tender caresses.

When Lissa returned to her dorm, late that night, she expected to be chastised by an ever-irate Rose. Instead, she found her roomie in her bed, sleeping. Tucked into Dimitri's chest. Lissa smiled at Dimitri, who was awake and brushing Rose's hair as she reposed against him. She mouthed the name of another female guardian on campus, and when he nodded gratefully, she tiptoed out of the room to spend her night and probably the rest of the weekend, exiled out of her own room. But she couldn't find it in her heart to grudge this little inconvenience to Rose and Dimitri. God knows they deserved some time alone!

**Thanks for reading. Please leave a review! Cheers! :D**


	40. Chapter 40

**Drabble:40  
POV:Third Person**

After Dimitri was turned back to a dhampir, and Rose had been exonerated of Tatiana's murder, the dhampir couple visited Russia. A lot of doubts plagued Dimitri's mind-he didn't know how his family would react to seeing him again, he didn't know how he'd react if they shunned him, if his friends ostracized him. He didn't know if he could bear it.

But one thing he was sure of was Rose. She'd forgiven him for all the torment he'd put her through and he owed it to her to return back to his homeland with her, even if he wasn't especially happy to. So when she'd announced their vacation, he had complied with minimum protest. He packed their suitcases dutifully as she blabbered on about his mother, his sisters, his nephew and even his Babushka. He was glad that they had accepted her so easily, made her a part of their family, but worried about how much it would hurt both of them if his family rejected him. He didn't dare to hope they wouldn't, but in his heart, he prayed.  
Throughout the days leading up to the trip, their connecting flights and even on road to Baia, Rose tried her best to keep him upbeat and buoyant, intuitively giving him what he needed, without even being asked.  
But when the moment of reckoning arrived, as he sat behind the wheel of the car, outside his childhood home, Dimitri's fears rushed back and he couldn't find the courage to get out and finish what they'd come for. He sat paralyzed, till Rose placed a kiss against his cheek, lending him her strength. Taking a deep breath, he got out, and claimed her hand in his. Walking up to the house, the couple was first mobbed by Viktoria. When he'd recovered enough to realize that he was being accepted back home, the other women had come out to hug him and Rose too. After exchanging light banter, he followed the women of his family to his home, one hand pressed to Rose's back, to assure himself that he wasn't dreaming. He was introduced to his nephew and nieces and then Yeva made her appearance, and a very entertaining exchange-of-words transpired between her and Rose.  
After they'd all settled down, and talked and ate, he stood up and cleared his throat. "Mama, Babushka and sestras", he began, inclining his head towards them. "I know it's probably too late for this, but I'd still like to introduce you to my Roza. And Roza, meet the beautiful Belikova ladies.". He concluded by tugging Rose to her feet and pulling her to his side.  
His family obliged him with humor and murmured a chorus of heys at Rose, who in turn stuck out her tongue at him. After a lot more conversing, they retired for the night. And Dimitri felt so, so elated. Never even in his wildest dreams had he expected to live this day, this way. He prayed to God, thanking Him for his blessings, thanking Him for the love he had in his life, both from his extraordinary family and from the woman lying in his arms, who was as much a member of the family as him. And for the first time, in a long, long while, Dimitri slept like a baby, so glad to have come home. After all, home is where the heart is! And he was home, finally.

**Thank you for reading! Lemme know what you think! Cheers!:D**


	41. Chapter 41

**Drabble:41  
POV:Third Person**

She had come to the dorm lobby to post a letter. She missed home, and her parents. Also, the fact that she didn't have many friends made her homesick. Praying for a swift reply to the letter, she was just about to leave when she saw _them_. The dark-haired teenage dhampir and the tall, dark andhandsome man accompanying her.

Both figures were considered legends, albeit of different nature, throughout campus; even then, the girl wasn't shocked to see them together. What surprised her was their rapport. The way they were behaving was friendlier than what their age-difference and mentoring relationship would suggest.

The young moroi watched, transfixed, as the guy opened the door for his companion, who came indoors with a smile, both their hands occupied by cardboard boxes. After speaking a few words to her, the male headed off towards the teachers' quarters. The dark-haired girl, with her hair pulled into a ponytail, stared after him with a soft smile on her face.

Hesitantly, and curiously, the moroi girl inched towards the dhampir, wanting to talk to her, but not knowing what to say. When the dhampir saw _her_, _her_ eyes almost bugged out in surprise. The curly-haired moroi couldn't help but exclaim animatedly, "OhMyGod! You're Rose Hathaway, aren't you?". When Rose confirmed her identity, _she_ asked about her molnijas, which Rose showed- leaving _her_ starstruck.  
When Rose asked for_ her_ name, the younger girl gushed excitedly, introducing herself. "Jillian—Jill. I mean, just Jill. Not both. Jillian's my full name. Jill's what everyone calls me." When Rose laughed with her, Jill rambled on, thanking the stars for having come to the lobby then.

Jill asked her about her relationship with her attractive mentor, and their evident friendship, which made Rose fidget uneasily and blush. _Ohmygod!_ _Rose Hathaway blushed_! Gathering encouragement, she dared to ask Rose about her _alleged_ relationship with the handsome, emerald-eyed Adrian Ivashkov, which (sadly) Rose immediately dismissed as lies. They continued talking and Jill felt elated. She knew she had a habit of rambling nervously, which annoyed her friends, but Rose gave no indication of being irritated or bored.

After about 10 minutes, Guardian Belikov returned with Ms. Davis, and Rose introduced Jill to her mentor-_Dimitri_. She called him by his Christian name and he didn't even chide her! Jill hesitantly shook the proffered hand of the extremely-hot guardian, who smiled kindly at her. Jill felt so overwhelmed, she was sure she'd pass out. Excusing herself as quickly as she could, Jill escaped and raced up the staircase. Peeking a first-floor window, Jill watched as the mentor-pupil duo walked away together, laughing and chatting. They had been so nice to Jill, and so friendly! They hadn't been irritated or condescending because she was a nervous, teenage non-royal moroi. Smiling like the Cheshire Cat, Jill skipped towards her best friend, Amy's room to gossip about her unexpected encounter. Guardian Belikov and Rose Hathaway! Amy was gonna be soooo jealous!

**Thanks for reading! Please review! Cheers! :D **


	42. Chapter 42

**Drabble:42  
POV: Third Person**

After Dimitri learned that Rose's parents would grill him about his relationship with their daughter, _he_ was scared. Then again, who wouldn't be? Rose's mom, Guardian Janine Hathaway, was not only a lethal guardian, but when pissed off, was awe-inspiringly terrifying. Dimitri had seen that side of her when Rose went missing during Christmas, and he wasn't looking forward to reliving it.  
If that wasn't enough, Rose's dad Ibrahim Mazur, was reputed to be a fearsome mob-boss. One who apparently could put the fear-of-God in his 'victims' by simply chatting. And presumably had a knack of leaving bodily injuries that weren't visible-in-plain-sight.  
Even Adrian Ivashkov, who hated him for the Rose-debacle, laughed hysterically upon learning of Dimitri's impending interview _cough*_doom_*cough_. And Christian and Eddie actually rolled on the floor, howling uncontrollably, when Rose informed them of his predicament. Regardless, Dimitri knew he had to face them. For him, family was important, and even if Rose's family had only 'reunited' very recently, he knew he had to answer to them-for _her_.  
Rose tried her best to dissuade both him and her parents, but she was assiduously ignored. Her parents were hell-bent on interrogating him, and Dimitri had decided it was the right-thing-to-do- for her, for their love and for their future. But after a-lot-of-pleading from Rose, her parents agreed to talk to Dimitri in Court _first_, near civilization, before carting him off to wilderness with firearms.

After some advice from the gang, which ranged from hilarious to disturbing, and a standing offer to flee to Siberia from Rose, Dimitri bade them _(hopefully-not-the-final)_ goodbye and set forth to meet his doom-_erm,_ _Rose's parents_-in the Court café. He found them sitting in a dimly-lit back-alcove, dressed fully in black, looking like characters out of Quentin Tarantino's movies. Murmuring a silent prayer, he took his designated seat between the two. And then….._it_ began.  
He was prepared for their many probing questions, even their slightly-offensive-conjectures and he got through most of them without breaking a sweat. Everytime he hesitated, the perceptive couple, noticing his discomfort, fully exploited those topics. But he got through those too, because he had vowed to tell them nothing but the absolute truth. He was also prepared for their threats, which ranged from thinly-veiled predictions (Janine's promise to break his jaw) to gruesome tales of what they'd _(happily)_ do to him (skin him alive, and painstakingly-and-strategically break his bones while torturing him with the elements) if he failed to meet their expectations or hurt Rose, even unerringly. Then it was over. They'd accepted him, deemed him worthy of their daughter. Dimitri emerged from the encounter physically-unscathed, though forever mentally-scarred by Abe's colorful threats. But before he left, _something_ happened that stunned Dimitri.

Returning to his apartment, he found Rose there, pacing anxiously. She flung herself at him, then examined him for any signs of physical-damage. After reassuring her and recounting _most_ of the interview, Dimitri came to the incident that made him question reality. "There's something else", he added slowly, still wondering if he had hallucinated that bit.  
"What?", she questioned, anxious again.  
"Your mom hugged me"  
"Oh", Rose relaxed. "She was just welcoming you to the family"  
"Roza, Guardian Hathaway _hugged_ me", Dimitri clarified. "_After_ I admitted to sleeping with her _underage_ daughter, and recounted _all_ I'd put you through after being turned."

"So?", Rose shrugged.

"Rose, _your mom_ hugged _me_", Dimitri repeated.  
"Contrary to popular belief, she's actually human", Rose teased, grinning now. "And she always liked you. This was her saying she's accepted you".

"But-but-", Dimitri floundered, still dubious. "_She hugged me_!"

"Did she whisper a few last-minute-threats in your ear when she hugged you?", Rose asked patiently, already texting to let the gang know Dimitri had returned unharmed.

"Yeah"  
"And there's that!", Rose replied cheerily. "Now let's go celebrate you being alive".  
When Dimitri reached for the duster he'd taken off indoors, she clarified, "In the bedroom".

**Firstly, I'm sorry for not updating sooner, but its exams-week, and I-don't-have-a-life-anymore. But thanks for sticking around, you guys rock!  
Please leave a review on your way out and make me less-miserable. And pray that I survive the week-from-Hell. Cheers! **

**PS-Would you like the full story on my 'Dimitri's-pre-wilderness-interview-with-Janine-an d-Abe?'**


	43. Chapter 43

**Drabble:43  
POV:Third Person**

Karolina had liked Rose from the first time they'd met. Rose was wild and reckless, but she had a good heart. She was kind, helpful and funny. And she was Dimka's girl. Karolina had been surprised to learn that her brother had been involved with such a young girl, one who was so different from him, but she couldn't think about it….then. Firstly, because she already liked Rose, who'd almost become a member of the family, and secondly, she'd been too busy grieving the loss of a brother whom she had loved and adored.  
But when Rose returned to Russia, with Dimitri, the question came back to Karo's mind- how had her uptight, stoic brother fallen for the carefree, lively girl? So, Karo set her mind to observe the couple and what she saw surprised her.  
Her brother wasn't wearing his guardian mask anymore; he let his emotions shine through….around them, atleast. He seemed more like the sweet boy he'd once been, before being exposed to all of life's ugliness. He laughed without refrain, and actually cracked jokes. Once, she'd actually caught him humming while chopping vegetables for dinner. Karo wasn't the only one taken by surprise. Even Sonya seemed confounded by their brother's transformation.  
And Rose, she'd changed too. She was still boisterous, but evidently less, especially around Dimka. This Rose wasn't living under the shadow of her lover's death, or the burden of having to fulfill a possibly-lethal promise. Roza radiated with happiness now-her smile brighter and her visage lovelier than before, when her face had been shadowed by an insurmountable sorrow.

And Dimitri, he just couldn't keep his hands to himself, as far as his girlfriend was concerned. Whenever they were together, he'd either have an arm around Roza, or be playing with her hair, or just holding her hand. And the long looks they exchanged…even a blind man could understand how in love they were. Rose really wasn't any better. She'd continually be 'accidentally' bumping Dimitri or brushing against him, sometimes even going out of her way to do so. And then, she'd smile super-sweetly at him, and he would just shake his head amusedly, a particular look in his eyes, _every time.  
_Karo was delighted by all she saw, especially Dimitri's transformation, but she just wished the couple would let her sleep in peace. After being around other people all day, when the couple retired for night, they 'enjoyed' each other's company….intimately. Poor Karo's room was right next to Dimka's, and Dimka and Roza's regular nightly activities kept her up all night. And good God, were they energetic!  
Now all Karo had to do was to find a way to tell her brother and soon to be sister-in-law to either be quiet, or to refrain from their amorous activities atleast for the next few days. She may love them to bits, but she really needed her sleep.

**Guess who's back! After giving some of the worst exams of my life, I should add.  
But thank you for reading. Please leave a review! Cheers!**


	44. Chapter 44

**Drabble:44  
POV:Third Person**

The day Queen Vasilisa was to visit the Guardian HQ, every guardian in Court showed up, wearing their best (_and ironed_) clothes. No one was in casual or gym-wear, like on any normal day, and every single desk was cleaned and messes concealed. The walkways were devoid of gossiping guardians and people _actually_ sat on their chairs, for once. Gone was the normally lighthearted atmosphere of the place, replaced by an uneasy air of stiff formality. No one knew what to expect from the new monarch-if she was haughty and cold or casual and friendly-which put them all at edge, and left them fiddling with their squeaky clean shoes or collar buttons. They peeked at one-another occasionally, then at the door, awaiting Queen Vasilisa's grand entrance.  
-

Lissa walked between the lines of bowing guardians, followed by her entourage of Royal Guards and Moroi delegates, nodding and smiling at everyone as she made her way down the line. She presented a pretty picture of effortless elegance, with a tiara atop her sleek hairdo, and her full skirt swishing after her. It wasn't till she came near the end of the line that she stopped-in front of a far-too-familiar figure.  
Shocking everyone in the near vicinity, she thwacked the guardian over the head, causing him to straighten up in shock.  
"Edison Castile, if I ever catch you bowing to me again, I'll sic Rose on you.", she threatened, gesturing to her best friend, who was only a few paces behind Lissa. "The same goes for you, Meredith, Shane and Lionel. So not cool!" She glared at each of her former classmates, arms folded across her chest.  
"You're just lucky you're too far away for me to hit you. Am I clear?"  
As Lissa named them, the three newbie guardians straightened up from their low bows, and then, exchanging looks with each other and Eddie, nodded furiously at her, in unison.  
Lissa primly smiled at them, then clasped her hands demurely in front of her again. Once again the image of regal queen, she continued gliding down the line, nodding her head at each passing guardian.

Once Lissa vacated the building, the others relaxed and flopped onto nearby chairs and couches, and voices buzzed in the building again. Shoes were discarded, ties undone and jackets unbuttoned. And older guardians converged around the four newbies singled out by Lissa, asking about the teenage monarch. They were so immersed in their chatting-sessions that they failed to notice said monarch return with her entourage. Well, they missed her re-entry _till _she came and stopped right in front of Eddie's cubicle. As guardians noticed her, a hush fell over the hall. Lissa cleared her throat and announced, "I'd much rather prefer if you'll be less-formal around me in future. I'm 18. It weirds me out. And Eddie, come by Christian's for dinner tonight, okay?"

With that, she hastened out of the building, leaving everyone staring after her-_again_. Then, as one, they turned to look at Eddie, who just shrugged and replied, "Well that's Lissa for you. She'll be perfect princess, oh sorry_, Queen_ one moment, and a total buddy the next. She's always been so. Now, if you'll all excuse me, I gotta get to work before Hans skins my hide".

**Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed! Cheers!**


	45. Chapter 45

**Drabble:45  
POV:Third Person**

Dimitri stared incredulously at the food in his plate. Food that smelled and looked edible.

Blini, at that.

His eyes flickered between his plate and his girlfriend a few times, wondering if he was still dreaming, before asking the question on his mind. "You….made _these_?"

"Yep", Rose cheerily replied, popping the 'p'. "I made them according to your mom's recipe…and good God, do they taste great!"

"_You_ made _my_ mom's blini?", Dimitri asked slowly, trying to wrap his head around this revelation.

"Yes, silly. Now sit down and eat", Rose ordered from the stove, where she was frying eggs. Dimitri cautiously settled into his chair, his eyes fixed on the love of his life, who was humming some peppy tune as she cooked, wearing a red-and-white checkered apron.

After carefully stabbing his food with the fork, and ensuring nothing was going to jump out at him, he whispered a silent prayer that the food taste as good as it looked, and then dug in. To his immense surprise the food not only was edible, but delicious. Curiosity satisfied, he dug in with gusto, spreading strawberry jam all over his food.

"So what's the occasion?", he asked casually, as he continued eating.

"What do you mean?", Rose asked absent-mindedly, her eyes fixed on the sizzling bacon on the frying pan.

"You're cooking…in the morning", Dimitri clarified.

"I just wanted to do something for my boyfriend. And I have cooked before, you know?", Rose teased.

Dimitri prudently opted to not mention that none of her previous cooking attempts had even remotely been edible. "Do you need something?", he asked instead.

"No", Rose shook her head.

"Have you done something wrong?" Another head-shake.

"Did you piss off Hans? Or Christian?". Another head-shake.  
"Lissa?"

"No, silly!", Rose laughed, placing an eggs-and-bacon-filled plate in front of Dimitri, before setting another identical plate for herself.

"Did you murder somebody, and need my help hiding the corpse?", Dimitri asked, half-seriously.

Rose rolled her eyes in reply. As Dimitri continued eating this unexpected (_and edible_) breakfast, his mind ran over a thousand possibilities, trying to figure out Rose's motive. He watched her eat, a secretive smile on her face.

"Did I miss our anniversary or something?", he hedged, dropping his silverware on his now-clean plate.

"Nope", Rose smiled impishly at him. "Now go get changed. Or else you'll be late. I packed lunch. Eat it, okay?", she ordered in a strangely wife-like voice.

After Dimitri put on his uniform, he came out to the kitchen to find Rose washing their dishes at the sink. This was surprising too; Rose rarely ever cleaned up…._voluntarily_.

"Okay, I give up!", Dimitri announced, throwing his hands in the air. "What's going on?"

Rose let out a long sigh, and wiped her hands on the apron before discarding it and making her way over to him. "What's going on, my love, is that _I_ fulfilled _your_ appetite this morning in hopes of _you_ fulfilling _my _'appetite' tonight." Her low, sultry tone made Dimitri's breath catch.

"Looking forward to tonight", she said playfully, bestowing one quick peck on his lips before disappearing into their bedroom.

Dimitri shook his head, struggling to come back to reality, then set out for work. He could hardly wait for the day to be over. This was one debt that he was far too eager to pay…

**Thank you for reading. Don't forget to leave a review! Cheers!**


	46. Chapter 46

**Drabble:46  
POV:Third Person**

"Roza, can I ask you a question?", Paul asked, settling beside Rose on the couch.

"Shoot!", she replied, continuing to flip through TV channels.

"Do you love uncle Dimka?"

"Yeah", she said, eyes still on the screen.

"Oh.", he replied, looking down to his shoes.

"Why the sudden interest in my love life, kiddo?", Rose asked, sparing him a sidelong glance.

"Mama was talking to uncle Dimka last night, and I heard him say that you don't want to marry him.", Paul explained with a little shrug. "So I was wondering that if you love him."

"I do, Paul. I really do.", Rose affirmed, with a soft smile. "But we can't get married now, you know?"

"But dhampirs can get married.", Paul insisted cutely.

"They can. It's just that….", Rose trailed off, trying to find a suitable way to explain the very, many complicated reasons as to why Dimitri and she weren't tying the knot…._now_.

"Is it us? Don't you like us?", Paul asked in a small voice, hurt coloring his tone.

"Of course I like you!", Rose exclaimed, indignant. "You guys are like my own family!"

"But-"

"Wait a minute", Rose interjected, paying full attention to her almost-nephew now. "Did Dimitri put you up to this?", she asked him with narrowed eyes.

"Silly Roza! Of course not!", Paul shook his head disapprovingly, as if he found her utterly absurd, and looking like the splitting image of his uncle. "When I asked him about it, he just stared at me for some time before walking away."  
Rose chuckled, visualizing the scene. Well, that explained why Dimitri had distractedly walked out to the backyard a few minutes before, an incredulous expression on his face.

"So, Paul", Rose said, when she'd had her laugh. "Why are you suddenly so invested in my marriage plans or their absence?"

"No reason", he shrugged, studiously avoiding her eyes.

"Come on, Paul! Tell me. Promise I won't be mad or anything.", Rose pleaded, trying to make him talk.

"Its just that…..I like you, Roza.", Paul said shyly. "You're funny."

"I like you too, Paul.", Rose replied, leaning over to ruffle his hair. Paul looked irritated at being taken so lightly. Clearing his throat, he began a little importantly. "So, you like uncle Dimka, yet you don't want to marry him, but you like being in our family. Correct?"  
Rose smiled again at how much Paul resembled his uncle, who also fidgeted uncomfortably when he felt coddled.

"What are you getting at, Paul?", she asked him, still smiling affectionately.

"If you won't marry him,", Paul paused, sitting up straighter. After brushing his hand through his hair _(again_ like Dimitri, Rose noted) and taking a deep breath, he revealed the entire purpose of this conversation. "Will you marry me?"

**Looks like D has some serious competition :p**

**Thanks for reading (and following and favoriting Moments). You guys are some cool cats! Don't forget to review! Cheers!  
And a special thanks to Dimitri's-Smexi-Shewolf for my 100****th**** review.**


	47. Chapter 47

**Drabble:47**

**POV:Third Person**

"Liss, go see Chris.", Rose ordered, closing the file in Lissa's hand. "You guys have hardly spent any time together this week, and I don't mean just quality time."  
"I'd love to, Rose.", Lissa sighed, leaning in her chair and stretching lightly. "But there's so much paper work. I don't think I'll be done in the next 200 years."  
"Paperwork later, Christian now.", Rose instructed. "He's been moping around."  
"Moping?", Lissa asked skeptically.  
"Uh-huh,", Rose nodded emphatically. "Dimitri said so."  
"Right, Dimitri said he's moping.", Lissa said, a small smile playing on her face.  
"Fine, it might have been more along the lines of 'he seems miserable'.", Rose admitted, rolling her eyes. "But I saw him today, and he didn't even try to insult me! So, you know, something's really wrong with him."  
"Rose." Lissa shook her head, covering her smile behind her hand. The rest of the Royal Guards, who were standing against the walls of the room, chuckled at their colleague's petulant confession.  
"Thank you, thank you.", Rose exclaimed, bowing in the direction of the guardians before turning back to her best friend. "But seriously, Liss. Go, now."  
"I still have to sign this stack of papers for tomorrow."  
"Just sign? I mean you've read through them?", Rose asked, eyeing the 30 or so manila files on Lissa's desk.  
"Yeah, why?", Lissa asked, a little suspiciously.  
"Liss, I can do your signature blindfolded. I'll finish up here, you go home.", Rose ordered, already moving around Lissa's huge, ornate mahogany work-table.  
"Rose, you can't do that.", Lissa said with a surreptitious glance at her guardians.  
"It's okay, your majesty". Norman, the leader of the Royal Guard, said good-naturedly. "It'll be our little secret."  
"You heard the man, Liss.", Rose said cheerily, almost dragging Lissa off her chair. "Now go on before I change my mind."  
"What about Dimitri?", Lissa asked in a last-ditch attempt.

"He can survive one night without me", Rose brushed off her query, settling comfortably into the chair. "And by you spending time with Sparky, if Christian comes off his PMSing mood, Dimitri's life will become much easier. So it's a win-win"

"Rose", Lissa groaned, laughing along with her guardians now. Rose poked her tongue out at Lissa in reply.

"What would I ever do without you, Rose?", Lissa asked rhetorically, but her guardian and best friend answered anyways.  
"Hopefully, you'll never have to find out. Now scoot!"

"Goodnight, Rosie!", Lissa called out with a smile, picking up her briefcase and jacket.  
"Yeah, goodnight Rosie!", teased Ritchie, one of the 5 guards, who were to accompany Lissa back to her suite. Rose promptly showed him the middle-finger.  
"You too, Liss.", Rose answered, pulling up her legs and grabbing a couple folders. She looked up as Lissa was about to exit the room. "And Liss?", Rose called out, making her best friend turn around. "Have fun making little Dragomirs."

**I don't know if any of you follow the international news, but my country (Bangladesh) just suffered a rather horrific tragedy pretty recently. So if you could spare one moment, please pray for the injured people and survivors of the Savar-incident. Thank you. **

**And as always, thank you for reading. And as many of you want the continuation of the last drabble, I'll try to conjure something and put it up ASAP. In the meantime, do review. **


	48. Chapter 48

**Drabble:48  
POV:Third Person**

Mostly, their training-sessions were strictly-business…then, there were days like this….

The first deviation occurred when Dimitri got distracted. Which led to the next-Rose-_for once_-managed to pin him to the gym-mat. And that's how exception no.3 came to be.  
As Rose sat straddling Dimitri, grinning at her unexpected win, Dimitri simply lay there, studying her face. Before his gaze could make her spontaneously combust, Rose tried distracting him.  
"Any more suggestions, Comrade?", she teased him, placing her hands on his chest, about to get up from this very suggestive position. But the moment she touched him, his hands enclosed hers, holding her in place.

"Yes, Roza", he said quietly. "Will you take your hair down for me?"

"Wha-what?", she said uncertainly, sure she'd heard him wrong.

"Let down your hair, Roza.", Dimitri said, releasing her hands, giving her the choice. With shaking hands, Rose complied, her wide eyes fixed onto Dimitri's steady gaze. As soon as her hair was freed from her ponytail, he flipped her over, putting his hands around her to break her fall. Once she was beneath him, and he straddled her, Dimitri removed his hands and leaned back, gazing at her in a way that made her heartbeat race.

"Don't move.", he warned, leaning towards her.

"Dimi-", Rose began, only to be cut off by Dimitri placing his index finger against her lips.

"Do you trust me, Roza?", he asked her slowly, asking her permission for she-wasn't-sure-what.

"I do, but-"

"Do you trust me?", he repeated, this time brushing his lips against hers.

"Yes.", she breathed against him.

"Good. Don't move.", he instructed, softly kissing her lips. "And don't make one sound."  
Rose laid there, breathing sharply as Dimitri's lips moved back and forth, placing feather-soft kisses, over her neck and the skin exposed at the top of her T-shirt. His hands traced patterns across her hipbones and waist, making her dizzy.

"Dimitri", Rose whimpered, unable to take it anymore.

"Shh, Roza.", Dimitri said in a voice Rose had never heard before. "If you don't stop, I'm gonna."

"No!", she almost screamed, jerking upwards reflexively. He smiled against her collarbone, and his hands, gently but firmly, pushed her back on the ground. He continued his ministrations, looking up at her every now and then.

"So beautiful.", he murmured, fixing his dark eyes onto hers. "You are so goddamn beautiful, Roza."

"Dear God! Are you trying to kill me?", Rose whined, closing her eyes in pleasure.

"Open your eyes, Rose. I wanna see you."

"Dimitri-", Rose whimpered again, a different need evident in her voice.

"I know, Roza. I know.", Dimitri sighed deeply, then sat up and pulled her to his chest, cradling her against himself. They sat together, catching their breath, and then Rose looked up at him and placed a chaste kiss on his lips.

"You got any other moves to show me, Comrade?", she teased.

"All in due time, Rose. Don't be late tomorrow."

"Patience is a virtue, don't you know that, Dimitri?"

"I hadn't realized you were interested in preserving virtues, Roza.", Dimitri winked at her, standing up gracefully.

He helped her up, ignoring her 'who-are-you-and-what-have-you-done-with-Dimitri' look.

"Goodnight, Roza.", he said, dismissing her, heading towards a supply closet.  
And Rose? She happily skipped back to her dorm, oblivious to the people looking weirdly at her punch-drunk expression.

**I'm so, so sorry for vanishing so suddenly, but I have had an extremely hectic week at the Uni this past week. But thank you for sticking around. And thank you for reading. Don't forget to review!  
And I'm drawing a total mental-blank about what 'moment' to pen next, so help me out here, and give me suggestions. Thanks!  
Btw, do any of you read poetry? I write (or atleast try to write) poetry, so let me know if you'd like to read some of my original works. Cheers!**


	49. Chapter 49

**Drabble:49**

**POV:Third Person**

"So, she's gone." Adrian stated as he stepped into Rose's room, holding a wrapped present in his hands.  
Christian glanced up at his entrance, then back to his girlfriend, who was weeping in Rose's bed, _her _pillow tightly gripped to her chest. Christian continued brushing his hand through her platinum hair, trying to soothe Lissa. Adrian gazed at her as he strolled over to Rose's desk, dropping the gift and his coat on the messy floor.  
"How-how could she?", Lissa sniffled, sitting up and fixing Adrian with her bloodshot, jade-eyes. "How could she leave me-me?"  
Adrian and Christian exchanged a look, fully knowing why Rose had left. They had a momentarily silent conversation, deciding who would be better-suited to tell Lissa_ why_ her best friend had left. Lissa, noticing their exchange, scrutinized their auras. Then, she thought about their past behaviour around Rose and-  
"You _knew_", she realized, glancing accusingly between the two. The boys exchanged another look before Adrian sighed.  
"Yeah, we knew", he confirmed, leaning against the desk.  
"But how?", Lissa questioned, rubbing her hand over her puffy eyes. "Did she-did she tell you?"  
"She didn't have to", Adrian explained. "It was quite obvious, with their behaviour-"  
"_Their_ behaviour?", Lissa interjected, wide-eyed now. "You mean that he-."  
"Yes, Liss", Christian interrupted gently. "_Him_ too."  
Lissa mulled in silence, thinking over the day's revelations and going over past interactions between her best friend and could-be-guardian. How _he_ had freaked out when she'd been taken down by the bench, how _she_ always ran to _him_ whenever she had a problem, how he'd _always _be there whenever Rose ended up in the hospital….Lissa had always chalked that to hero-idolation on Rose's part and mentory-affection on Dimitri's. But _this_…..this _certainly _changed things…

"I've known since the ski lodge.", Adrian continued. "And Christian, he's known since what? Last two months?" Christian nodded in agreement before speaking. "Adrian called me out on it; he read it in my aura, apparently. Since then, we've both kept an eye on the two."

"I'm such an idiot", Lissa moaned, burying her face in her hands.  
"No, you're not", Christian said, rubbing his hand across her back. "Rose was just too good at hiding this. And don't even get me started on Belikov. Took me ages to figure out how he really felt."  
"What I don't get, cousin", Adrian frowned, a bit perplexed. "Is how you didn't figure it out? You can read auras pretty well. And she's your _best-friend_. So why couldn't you?"

"I never thought that…..", Lissa trailed off, lost in thoughts. "Why didn't she tell me? I'm supposed to be her best-friend!"  
"She couldn't. Neither of them could. _You_ always came first. And now that he's gone", Adrian sighed, staring out Rose's window. "It's best that she's gone away. Now she can heal and come back all better"  
"Oh, so you don't know", Lissa said in a small voice. Both boys paid undivided attention to her now. "She hasn't left to heal. She's gone to ki-kill him. She won't rest until she has, or he gets her."  
Lissa looked on calmly as Adrian and Christian exchanged horrified looks, reflecting on Rose's-birthday-from-hell.  
Christian regretted not being able to stop her, to help her. Who better knew about losses and coping than him? Adrian regretted falling for her charms, and letting her slip through his hands. And Lissa felt trapped in a nightmare, unable to wake up….Rose was gone….._Her _Rose had left…..for _him_. And Lissa couldn't even hate _him_, he'd been far too good for that. All she could do now was pray. _I need you, Rosie. Please come back._

**Almost to 50! As a treat here's a teaser from my intended 50****th**** drabble. But don't forget to review this one. Cheers!  
-**

…"**Hell, I'll even throw in a fainting fit, if it makes you happy."**

"**Don't faint on me", Dimitri attempted to remain serious...**

…"**Okay, then. I'll go into hysterics, okay?"**

"**Deal.", Dimitri replied, smiling that handsome smile of his…. **

**to be continued…****Any ideas what's going on?**


	50. Chapter 50

**Drabble:50 (addition to Drabble:46, as per popular demand)**

**POV:Rose**

"Hey stranger.", I called out as I stepped into the Belikov's backyard, closing the screen door behind me.  
"Hey, Roza." Dimitri looked up and smiled slightly before extending one hand and pulling me to him on the porch steps. We both remained quiet, just watching the scenery awhile.

"So,", I began. "I heard you had an interesting conversation with your nephew."  
"Interesting. You could say that.", he muttered in an undertone.

"He had Round 2 with me.", I informed Dimitri, shrugging nonchalantly.  
"Really?"

"Yeah.", I said, my eyes on my pink-polish-coated nails, courtesy of Vika. Even then, I knew he was looking at me, wearing that swoon-worthy intense expression of his.

"He asked me whether I wouldn't marry you because I don't like your family." Dimitri's face showed open surprise. Smiling slightly, I continued. "But I set him straight."

"Then," I continued before Dimitri could comment. "He asked me why I wouldn't marry you."

"And how did you get out of that one?", Dimitri arched an eyebrow, teasing me.

"I told him that I'd marry you…someday. Just not now.", I replied playfully, poking him in his ribs.

"Roza, would it really be a bad thing if we did? Get married, I mean.", Dimitri asked softly, hiding his face in my hair. Undoubtedly so I couldn't see the longing in his face. But I could hear it in his voice, clear as day.

"Comrade, you know I love you and I know you love me too. Do we really need a piece of paper to state that neither one of us can get rid of the other?", I asked him, shifting to look into his face again. Dimitri avoided my eyes, but I could read the uncertainty in his face. After all we'd been through, he still thought I could let him go. _That idiot!_

"Dimitri, look at me.", I sighed, cupping his cheek, making him look at me. "I love you, only you. And I'm not going anywhere."

"But you won't marry me.", he said, disheartened. Marriage was pretty important to him, I knew that.

"Not now.", I clarified. As he continued to study me, I elaborated. "Ask me in a few years, and I'll laugh and cry and do all those sappy things like in the movies. Hell, I'll even throw in a fainting fit, if it makes you happy."

"Don't faint on me.", Dimitri attempted to remain serious, but the happiness shining in his eyes gave away his radiant mood. Apparently, an unforeseeable yes was good enough for him. "Your mom will butcher me, saying I don't feed you well enough."

Now, _that_ was a distinct-possibility. I visualized my mom beating the crap out of him, while Abe listed exactly how they expected me to be fed….make that _probable_.

"Okay, then. No fainting. But I'll go into hysterics, okay?", I amended, grinning.

"Deal.", Dimitri replied, smiling that handsome smile of his.

"I love you, Roza.", he said affectionately.

"As I love you.". With that, he pulled me in for a short kiss before standing up and tugging me to my feet.

"Oh, I forgot to mention.", I said, as he opened the door for me. "There was another reason Paul was conducting 20 questions."

Seeing Dimitri's quizzical look, I continued, "He wants to marry me."

"He does? I don't blame him.", Dimitri smiled. "What did you say?"

"Yeah, well. He's just as handsome as you, Comrade. And definitely cuter. And more easy-going. And he actually knows 21st century music.", I listed, trying to maintain my poker face.

"As for whether I let him down…or not", I said slowly, trying to test Dimitri's patience. "I told him to ask me again when he's of age. I need to keep my options open, you know?"

With that, I disappeared into the house, barely registering the comical shock on Dimitri's face. Just before the porch door closed behind me, I heard Dimitri murmur, "Tease".

**Drabble no.50! Can you believe it? Thank you for sticking with me so far. Y'all are awesome \m/ Don't forget to review this milestone and stick with me…as more is yet to come. Review!  
Btw, those of you who are interested to check out my poems, I've uploaded some at (allpoetry).(c)o(m)(/)poems(/)by(/)hatedinnocence0 3 (remove brackets), so lemme know what you think. Cheers!**


	51. Chapter 51

**Drabble:51  
POV:Third Person**

As they lay together in the cabin, Dimitri explored the curves of Rose's body with his fingertips. After some time, as his fingers stroked her skin, leaving goosebumps in their wake, he touched her nazaar and the chotki tied to Rose's wrist.  
"Why do you wear them?", he asked, brushing back hair from her face and leaning on his elbow, to look at her better.

"I've been wearing them for ages now, Comrade", Rose said, twisting her wrist to thread her fingers through his.

"I know", Dimitri said, bringing up their entwined hands to kiss the back of her hand. "I've noticed them a thousand times before, but I've never had the opportunity to really talk about it with you."  
"You know why I wear them", Rose said, snuggling closer to him. "They're gifts, from two extremely important people in my life. The nazaar's a symbol of protection, it reminds me that my mom cares, that somehow, she's looking over me. And this chotki", she gestured, turning her wrist to get a better view of the jewelry. "It represents my duty and the vow I've taken, to protect Lissa."  
Dimitri tilted his head, smiling admiringly as he mulled over the Rose's oddly profound words.  
"I've never really thought of it that way. You're far more brilliant than anyone gives you credit for, Roza. Absolutely-breathtaking.", he complimented her, watching with undisguised pleasure as a blush worked up Rose's cheeks.  
As his fingers stroked her now-warm cheeks, Rose decided to come-back with a quip, "I'm far smarter than people realize, Comrade. You should know that. I mean, you've probably caught me sneaking out or breaking rules about what….a million times?"

"Close enough", Dimitri muttered dryly, earning an elbow-jab to his chest. "But seriously, you literally wear your love for them on your sleeves. And maybe, it's presumptuous of me to assume this, but I think I'm quite important to you too. And I'd like to gift you something too."

"Dimitri", Rose began softly, caressing away the frown on his forehead. "I wear these to remind myself of mom and Liss and what they mean to me; and as much as I admire your gesture, I don't want you buying me things because I don't want a reminder of you." She paused, watching his expression become crestfallen. "Because, you, silly one, are the first and last thing I think about everyday. I don't need any reminders because I can't get you out of my hea-"

Dimitri crashed his lips against hers, cutting off her words. After kissing her soundly, he persisted. "I still want you to have something of mine. Pretty soon, we can be together, if you still want me, and-"

"The hell do you mean if I still want you!", Rose interrupted angrily. "I'll always want you. I love you, you idiotic-moron, and I want you, only you".  
"So let me buy you something- anything you want, Roza. Please?", he pleaded, unleashing his devastatingly beautiful puppydog-eyes on her.  
"No deal", Rose managed with great willpower. "I won't have you wasting your money on me. But", she interjected before he could protest. "But there's something of yours I want, other than your heart, of course".  
"My heart's been yours since we first met, Roza. And whatever else you desire, name it, and it shall be yours, sweetheart.", Dimitri spoke with emotion, his love-filled eyes fixed onto hers.  
Rose smiled at him, and gently cupping his face, brought her lips to his. What started out as a gentle peck turned into so much more…

As they left the cabin, hand in hand, Dimitri leaned over and touched his lips to his hairband, which was now tied around Rose's messy-bun. A hairband she promised to wear to all further training-sessions; a hairband she ended up carrying with her through Russia to help her through the sleepless nights.

**Hey lovelies! This is to inform you I'll go missing all weekend due to exams and certain monkey-business-ery…so don't miss me too much. And if you do, go through my previous drabbles….Thanks for reading this, and don't forget to review! Don't miss me too much. Cheers!**


	52. Chapter 52

**Drabble:52  
POV:Third Person**

_She_ glanced at_ him_ momentarily before going back to the article she'd been perusing. It took her exactly 3 seconds to realize something was different this time. And then, her eyes darted back to _him_. And stayed there….._he'd_ fallen asleep….  
_He_ was sitting upright on the sofa, boots planted firmly on the ground. In a grey-thermal shirt and jeans, he had to feel hot, especially on such a sunny day. But he had managed to doze off, in spite of his very uncomfortable position and the sweltering heat.  
_She_ sat up from where she had been lying on her stomach on the carpet-_carefully_-trying not to wake him up. _She_ brushed the bangs off her face and then just looked at him sometime. _He_ was cute, charmingly so, but something about his unguarded face almost caught her by surprise. Maybe it was the open vulnerability or the absence of the grimness that set his face in hard planes during waking hours. But, it probably was how the blond hair falling over his eyes emphasized his sharp cheek-and-jaw-bones, making him look…_devastatingly_ handsome.  
_She_ felt an irrepressible urge to capture the moment, to brand this image into her mind-to memorize how this gorgeous warrior looked in repose…_He_ worked so, so hard-staying alert, being ever vigilant and grim-when he was awake; God only knew how many sleepless nights he'd spent trying to protect _her_. She'd once asked him to take it easy, to loosen up; he'd just smiled that sad smile and said, "All it takes is one little slip…I'm not gonna let them get you again, I promise". After that, she never breached the topic again, just going along with his self-appointed bodyguard status, until he actually became her bodyguard. And in the time she'd known him, he'd gone from being an acquaintance, to a friend, to someone to look up to…and now he'd become a love interest….another complication in her already-messed-up life.  
She wished she could sketch a picture of him (like Adrian), but she knew she coulldn't ever do him justice. So, she settled for the next best thing. Stealthily retrieving her cell-phone from her shorts, she snapped a picture of him. That clicking sound woke him...sending him to his feet, stake drawn out. As _his _bleary eyes scanned the room minutely for any threats to _her_, _she_ inconspicuously pocketed her phone. His sleepy hazel eyes rested on her a moment before he relaxed. "What happened?", he asked her, pocketing his stake.  
"What do you mean?", she asked smoothly as she stood up too.  
"I thought I heard something".  
"Probably your imagination".  
He frowned, clearly not convinced. "How long was I out?"  
"Not too long", she replied, flopping down on the couch opposite him. "You can sleep a bit longer".  
"I shouldn't have fallen asleep in the first place. You should have woken me up."  
"I'm sorry", she replied, biting her lip. "Just-you looked so peaceful-I didn't want to"  
His expression softened immediately "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have chastised you. But my job is-".

"Yeah, I know", she cut in, rolling her eyes. "But you're also human, despite what you think"  
"Actually, I'm a dhampir", he replied with a lopsided smile, the kind she'd only seen him give Rose before.  
"Haha, funny", she said dryly. "But seriously, it's daytime…and I'm right here. So, take a short nap. Please".

He considered arguing against her, but was forced to succumb to the jade eyes he found so (secretly) irresistible. "Fine", he huffed, trying to maintain his tough-guardian-façade. "I'll nap. But you'll wake me up in an hour. Or if you need anything…_anything_, okay?" _Mini-Dimitri indeed!_

"Yes, boss!", she grinned, eyes sparkling. He snorted lightly, before lying down on the sofa.

"Sleep well, Eddie", she trilled, pulling up her legs on the couch.

"Will do, Jill", he replied with a quick smile before his eyes closed and he drifted off instantaneously. As for Jill, she spent the next half-an-hour snapping photos of a sleeping Eddie with her now-silent-cell-phone. And when she had enough, she flipped through her fashion magazine, stealing glances at her handsome guardian every now and then.

**Guess who's back(again)? Thanks for reading and don't forget to review! Cheers!**


	53. Chapter 53

**Drabble:53  
POV:Third Person**

Christian didn't feel like talking to people, or socializing these days. Forget going outside, he hardly allowed anyone in his room except Lissa nowadays. Just when he'd started to recover from the stigma of his parents turning strigoi, his aunt murdered the queen. And tried to kill Lissa. And shot Rose. Really, someone up there was having a good laugh at his expense!  
However, when the knocking on his door subsisted for over 10 minutes, he went to investigate. The person on the other end surprised him.

"Rose?"  
"Hey Christian!", the dhampir announced chirpily.  
"What are you doing here?"  
"How rude!", she chastised. "Won't you even invite me in? Okay, suit yourself. I'll just come in myself."  
Then, without letting him respond, she barged in, lugging a sleeping-bag and an oversized one in her arms.  
"What are you doing here?", Christian asked, bewildered, as he closed the door. "And what's the meaning of this?"  
"Hmm?", she asked absentmindedly, surveying the mess that was his room.

"You appearing at my doorstep with a sleeping-bag and God-only-knows what's in the other one."  
"Here.". She unceremoniously dropped her sleeping-bag on the floor before unzipping the other-one. "Gummy bears, torchlight, hairbands and marshmallows."  
"Umm, thank you?", Christian answered, still unsure what was actually happening.

"No prob, now where do I set my bed?", Rose asked, plopping on the floor herself.  
"Wait! What?", Christian almost shouted in surprise. "Back up, what do you mean?"  
"I mean where-the-hell am I gonna set camp?"

"Why?", Christian racked a hand through his hair in frustration.

"You've forgotten, haven't you?". Seeing Christian bamboozled face, she sighed exaggeratedly before continuing. "Remember when I was your trial guardian during the field experience? And you said we'd have a blast sharing ghost stories, picking out curtains and-"  
"Doing each other's hair.", Christian completed, remembering their long-ago banter. "Yeah, I remember."  
"As you probably realize, it's a bit late for picking out curtains, but fear not, we'll get to that tomorrow. Now, we do the rest."  
"I'm sorry, what?", he asked, still perplexed.  
"When did you become such a dimwit, Chris?", Rose asked, irritated now. "I brought food and torches and scrunchies for the story-time and hair-makeover. Capische?"

"You're here for a sleep-over.", Christian stated, trying to make sense of this slap-happy Rose.  
"Duh.", she replied, rolling her eyes, as she settled comfortably on her sleeping-bag.  
"Rose?"  
"Hmm?"  
"You're weird.", Christian said, lying on the carpet himself.  
"Why thank you for stating the obvious." She rolled her eyes at him. "Now there's something I need you help with." Seeing Christian's apprehensive-but-curious look, she continued. "Dimitri's family thinks he's still strigoi and they kinda had his funeral. Now I don't exactly know how to break his re-dhampir-ization to them. Any suggestions?"  
"Why don't you get Hans or Alberta to call them? You know, authorative figures and all.", Christian commented after thinking awhile.

"That's brilliant, Chris. Well done!", she grinned, throwing him a Cheetos packet. "Now, you'll never believe who I saw Mia with today!"  
"Who?", he asked, grabbing a few marshmallows too.  
And they spent the rest of the night just bantering.

The following morning, when Lissa tiptoed into Christian's room for her daily morning check-up on him, instead of finding a sullen and taciturn Christian glaring at everything and nothing, she found her boyfriend and best-friend sprawled on the carpet, asleep. Surrounded by junk-food-packets and soda-bottles. Smiling at the sight of the rainbow-hued hairbands in Christian's raven hair, she tiptoed out of the room, sure that by evening, her boyfriend would go back to how-he-used-to-be-before. Thanks to Rose, the self-proclaimed-miracle-worker.

**Don't you just love these two? Don't forget to review. Thanks!  
And about the last drabble, the confusion part was actually my intention :p Cheers!**


	54. Chapter 54

**Drabble:54  
POV:Third Person**

How dare _he_? How dare that man? She was just 18….still a little girl. And she thought she was in love with him! Whattajoke! Still, she was young, she could be forgiven. But _he_ should have known better…._he_ was old enough to know better….but _no_, that moron didn't know any better! And if Janine wasn't wrong, things had been going on for a long time between them-including their academy days.  
He was her mentor; he was supposed to teach her things….and okay, so he did teach her well-_fine, exceptionally well_-but somehow along the way, they fell in 'love'. What a fucking joke! Janine was royally pissed! She was gonna find the two and slap some sense into her daughter. And then, she was going to beat the living daylights out of Belikov, and enjoy every moment of it. How dare he take advantage of her baby-girl?  
Janine hastened her steps, walking faster, scouring the Court for her targets. Her fists clenched and unclenched as she contemplated breaking Belikov's nose.

And then she saw _them_. Walking by the fountain near the western border. Wrapped up in each other. The sight of them made Janine slow down, and eventually come to a halt.

Rose, enveloped in Dimitri's duster, had her head on his shoulder and he had an arm wrapped protectively and possessively around her. Despite walking far too closely, they constantly brushed against each other. They talked together, laughing often, oblivious to the many curious (and judgmental) glances headed their way.

They both wore joyous, blissful smiles. And Rose looked so content, so at peace…..Janine had never expected to see such a look on her daughter's face. But it was there…..because of _him_. _She_ had gone through a world full of pain and _his_ life hadn't exactly been a bed of roses either. Janine remembered how Rose had been after Dimitri had been turned, how maniacally _he_ had behaved when _she'd_ been shot….how Rose had broken down in _his_ arms in Spokane, how _he_ had seemed to be more worried about _her_ than the missing moroi. And a dozen other such interactions immediately sprang to Janine's mind. It was only fitting that after all the pain and hurt they'd been through, that they found each other-that they found this love.

Because they were in love, head over heels in it. 100%. Janine knew so. And no matter what came their way, together they could take it. For each-other, with one-another. Janine sighed, angry with herself for being logical enough to understand the situation, and began walking back the long way to guest housing, to Abe's. She needed to think, pummeling Dimitri could wait…_for now_.  
Janine glanced back, to get one last look at her daughter. Reaching a secluded corner, Dimitri had picked her up in his arms and was spinning her around now, making her laugh, uninhabited. Rose looked so happy, laughing in the arms of her lover…Janine realized she couldn't take away this one good thing in Rose's life; she couldn't make her baby-girl unhappy, not after everything she'd been through. But _he_ dared step out of line once, _just once_….and Janine would massacre him. For now, she had a hunting trip to plan. What? Just coz _she'd_ accepted _them_ didn't mean _they_ needed to know! And Janine had questions for _him_…lots and lots of them. Questions that needed answers…

**Thanks for reading! And don't forget to review! Cheers! :D  
A special shout-out to LexieBelikova for her kind words….that was an epic compliment! Thanks!**


	55. Chapter 55

**Drabble:55  
POV:Third Person**

Rose hated thunderstorms. And aircrafts (thanks to her ex-ghostly encounters). But more than anything, she hated thunderstorms while being trapped in an aeroplane…..like she was now.  
A violent storm was raging outside, pelting the aeroplane with angry water-drops and illuminating the sky, every so often, with thunder. Forget her; even Hans was spooked. Not to mention, everyone else was chaotic with panic.

Rose took a ragged breath and tried distracting herself by surveying her surroundings, trying to emulate her boyfriend, who didn't even seem spooked. In fact, he was trying to calm down others and conferring with a trio of Royal Guards at the back of the plane, level-headed, as always. Feeling her eyes on him, he glanced at her briefly and gave her a reassuring smile, which managed to allay some of her rising panic.  
Exhaling deeply, Rose slumped in her window-seat and glanced out. One look at the dark sky grumbling with lightning (as they hurtled through the sky in the thin aluminum box) and her panic tripled. She closed her eyes and balled her fists.  
_I must be strong. I'm not a wimp. I can do this._ Rose chanted mentally before opening her eyes….and meeting the terrified ones of Lissa, who had her head buried in Christian's chest, sitting across the aisle. Christian also looked terrified, but was trying to appear collected, his jaw clenched tightly.  
Lissa _had to_ travel to Brazil in the middle of the monsoon season. And Rose _had to_ come along, allured by the chance of basking in exotic beaches with Dimitri, who'd be accompanying Christian. And they _had to_ get into a rough thunderstorm. Just her luck. _Typical…._

Taking another deep breath, Rose decided to woman up. If Dimitri could be calm, so could she. Now was not the moment to become an 18-year-old-damsel-in-distress, especially when her knight-in-shining-armor was busy appeasing the rest of their flight-mates. _They come first….._  
Walking past the rows of seats separating them in the luxurious private jet, Rose plopped down on the seat facing Lissa and Christian. Their eyes immediately latched onto hers, seeking…..reassurance. Thinking fast, Rose settled on the best way to normalize things-_insulting Christian_.  
"Hey, Chris", she began loudly, attracting the attention of the nearby passengers. "I was excited about sunbathing till I realized I'd be exposed to your Royal skinniness. Lord-have-mercy-on-my-poor-soul!".  
Christian rose to the challenge, insulting her right back. As they traded insults, Rose became aware that the entire contingent was listening onto them, their fears forgotten. Dimitri and the trio-of-'in charge'-guardians set to work, contacting the radio-tower and goodness-knows-doing-what-else. After some time, Lissa ended their argument and the three friends began chatting, pulling in the rest of their flight-mates into their banter.

Half-an-hour later (_or-so-they-said_), the storm subsided, slowing to a gentle torrent. When the pilot announced that the worst was over, Rose trudged back to her seat, pleased with herself for taking control of her fear. Dimitri was already there, a western in hand. Rose's former irritation-that while the rest of them had been almost peeing their pants in fear, her boyfriend had displayed his supernatural calm-returned. Nevertheless, she sat down, leaning against him, and Dimitri wrapped one arm around her, _purposefully_ pulling her closer.

With her ear against his chest, she heard the thundering of his heartbeat. S_o, he had been scared after all…._He had been scared, but he had swallowed it, knowing he was needed. And he had no qualms about letting her know how he had felt, he loved her so.

Looking up, she smiled at him, for sharing this secret with her. He smiled right back, kissing her head before returning to his book.

**Thank you for reading! Please Review!  
I'd like to thank FantasyAddict24, BiggestPolarBearFanEver and Fiera Hathaway for reviewing so many of my drabbles! Thank you so very much! Cheers!**

**And sorry, I couldn't update yesterday…I literally fell asleep :(**


	56. Chapter 56

**Drabble:56  
POV:If-I-tell-you-it'd-ruin-the-ending :p**

When the two figures emerged from the damned house, walking past the ingoing guardians, I sighed in relief. _She_ was safe…

_He_ had a hand wrapped around _her_, guiding _her_ as _she_ trudged forward, a dazed look in _her _eyes. I watched as _they_ walked to a black SUV, walking past the car the rest of us were in. This close up, I could see that one of _her_ hand was knotted in _his_ shirt, the other reaching around_ him_, under_ his_ coat.

After depositing _her_ in the backseat of the car, _he_ kneeled beside _her_ and spoke a few words. _She_ had her eyes fixed on _him_, but it was apparent that_ she_ wasn't taking in much. When she nodded shakily to one of his queries, he retrieved a bag from the car's trunk. Wrapping a blanket around _her_, _he_ cleaned her wounds and bandaged them before handing her a water bottle. Then, leaning forward, he cupped her cheeks. From my vantage, I couldn't make out much, except a 'you-did-good'. Then, surprising the daylights-out-of-me, _he_ kissed _her_ cheek before closing the door behind _her_, and walking towards the house, never looking back. _He_ kissed _her_…  
I quickly looked around to see if either of my companions had caught the interaction, but the blonde-boy was asleep and the dark-haired one had his head buried in his hands. I slumped in the window-seat and looked out, but my mind wasn't on the scenery or our nightmarish-ordeal anymore, it was on the girl-_were we friends yet?-_ and the guy-_her guy_?-and what I knew of them….  
In the aeroplane, _he_ continued to sit beside _her_, brushing _her_ dark hair, as _he_ talked on the phone. As I studied _them_-how _she_ leaned towards him, how _his _eyes perused her every few seconds-I found myself puzzling over_ them_. Could it be something _more_ was going on?

_When _he finally got up, murmuring a few more words to_ her_, _he_ handed her a juice-carton. When she didn't drink from it, _he_ sighed and asked her to. _She_ sipped perfunctorily, the dazed look still haunting her eyes. Sighing again, _he_ disappeared to the back of the plane-where the guardians were-presumably to join in the discussion. But just before _he _disappeared, I saw a pained look cross _his _face momentarily. And that's when I knew…my eyes went back to the girl, feeling a sadness I'd never felt for_ her_ before, watching the girl fight the memories. _He_ returned minutes later, a blanket clutched in his hands and a harried look on his face. But I stood up, blocking his way. "Don't", I said. "Give her some space. She won't cry in front of you, but she needs to."

His eyes narrowed thoughtfully as he mulled over my words. Cautiously, he extended the blanket to me, but his eyes were on her-_his girl_. "I know you've had your differences, but please….help her."

I felt near tears under his request, but nodding, clutched the blanket to my chest. I should've walked away then, but I had something more to add. "Guardian Belikov", I began softly. "You're a good man. But if you hurt her, you'll have some very pissed off brothers after you" I gestured towards Eddie and Christian, who were both asleep; ignoring the surprised look on his face. "Not to mention her mother. So, take care of her." I could've finished here, but I had one more thing to say. "And I'm sorry. Neither of you deserve this….I-I'm sorry."

Then, without meeting his glance, I moved towards Rose….poor, broken Rose. Even over the whirring noise of the plane, I heard his reply. "Thank you, Mia", he said, his voice tight with emotion.

**Sorry for missing updates these past few days…and most possibly, the next 3/4 weeks, I'd have to update just as randomly :( **

**But I hope you enjoyed this drabble. Don't forget to review. Cheers!**


	57. Chapter 57

**Drabble:57  
POV:Third Person**

Dimitri was never one for spending too much time maintaining his looks. Okay sure, he brushed his hair, took showers and flossed diligently, but that's all that his routine was. Clean, basic and hygienic. He didn't like spending almost any time grooming, I mean what's the point when you're gonna be outside all day long? So, he wasn't into any sort of 'maintenances'.  
And over time, Rose began to follow his example. But she still retained some beauty habits-like using lip gloss and mascara every morning and an aloe-based moisturizer every night, and using only, and only, wildflower-flavored shampoo, especially after finding how much Dimitri liked that exotic smell on her. Dimitri didn't really care for all these frivolities, but as long as Rose was happy, so was he.  
But then, there were moments like this….moments that made him almost change his mind. For example, at this moment, Dimitri was standing in front of the sink in the bathroom, his arms clutching the countertop for support. His chest was bare and only a towel was slung around his hips. His head was bowed and his eyes closed as he enjoyed the sensation of Rose's nimble fingers massaging his scalp.  
Rose, sitting atop the countertop, had her hair secured into a ponytail. She was in a T-shirt and shorts, her long, tanned legs wrapped around Dimitri's waist to maintain her balance. Okay, fine! She had her legs wrapped around Dimitri to feel the dance of his hard muscles around her legs….for some reason, she really, really liked the position she was in. Then again, who wouldn't?

Rose smiled softly at her errant thoughts and then continued with her task, lathering Dimitri's hair with shampoo. Despite the content he felt at her touch, Dimitri just had to ask, "Roza is this really necessary?"  
"No. But you do so much for me, and this is the least I could do."  
"Roza, you don't need to do anything for me"  
Rose didn't answer for a moment, just reveling in the feel of her fingers brushing through Dimitri's now-foamy hair. "I know", she finally said quietly.  
When she didn't elaborate, even after some time, Dimitri straightened up. She frowned cutely, annoyed at this interruption, and beckoned him nearer. Dimitri leaned towards her, cupping her face in his hands.  
"Roza, you don't need to do something-repay me-somehow. I love you and I love taking care of you. That's just something I do, sweetheart."  
"I know", Rose shrugged nonchalantly, but her eyes were on the ground. He knew what she felt. In spite of how much he loved her, she still felt insecure. In spite of how he cherished her, she still felt inadequate. And no matter how much he tried, her fears wouldn't get assuaged.  
Dimitri stared at her a moment before sighing deeply. "Roza, look at me". When she didn't, he tried a different tactic. "Damn! I guess this means you don't want what I had planned as thank-you for shampooing my hair."  
Her head immediately shot up, her eyes focusing on his amused eyes and the mischievous smirk gracing his face. "You got me a present?"  
"Not exactly", he teased lightly, walking towards the en suite shower stall.  
"What then?", she asked excitedly.  
"Why don't you come and find out", he purred, stepping into the shower stall and throwing his towel towards her before shutting the stall door behind him. Needless to say, Rose very eagerly (and quickly) followed him, vowing to wash Dimitri's hair more often, hoping it would lead to more such presents in the future.

**I've been a bit out of practice, so this may be sub-par, but thank you for reading anyways. And do let me know what you think. Cheers!  
And I'm sorry for being M-I-A for so long. Unfortunately, my shadow days are far from over. :(**


	58. Chapter 58

**Drabble:58**

**POV:Dimitri**

No. No. You _absolutely_ aren't going to touch _her_.  
I chastised myself, trying to think of anything, _anything_ but _her_.

Don't! Think of something-_anything else!_  
I need to clean up my room, I mused distractedly, watching as _she _went through the exercise set, rambling about some detention that she had ended up in for disrupting Guardian Alto's class. Stan…that asshole! I swear he held a personal vendetta against my Roza. She isn't mine, I silently corrected myself. Oh Roza…  
Think about your room. Think about rearranging your bookshelf, I prompted my mind, trying to stop myself from getting overwhelmed by Roza…how sweet, wonderful and perfect she was. Sighing again, I tried thinking of my room.  
But _that _wasn't helping matters either. Because then, it reminded me of how she'd come to me _that_ night. The caresses. The kisses…..It reminded me of how willing she had been to give herself to me, and how eager I had been to take her. It reminded me of how close we had come to….  
No! Stop! Rewind! Go back to cleaning room. She's your student, you moron! I mentally slapped myself, looking on as said student stretched her lean body, supplying my mind with an endless number of perfectly inappropriate fantasies.  
She's underage…she's almost as young as Vika. Remember Vika? _Your_ baby sister? How would you feel if some 24 year-old-guy was ogling her? That thought sobered my vivid fantasies. I felt disgusted with my train of thoughts. I shouldn't be having such thoughts about her, but she was oh, so tempting. And I loved her. There, I said _it_. I loved Roza. Of all the women I had met, I had to go ahead and fall in love with my student. My surprisingly perceptive, impossibly reckless and stunningly beautiful Roza. The woman that I desired, the woman I couldn't have…  
Sighing, to hide my pathetic misery, I focused on Rose. Providing instructions for her next exercise set, I continued to observe her, trying my best to keep up my professional, detached façade. She had come so very far in such short a time. And she'd been through so much….and emerged stronger, every time. Who wouldn't fall in love with this girl, I thought to myself. She was beautiful, both from the inside and out. And admirable….and I needed to touch her so, so badly.

This wouldn't do, this wouldn't do at all. I had to stop wanting to touch her, to brush my hand across her cheekbones, to kiss her lips, to smell that scent of her flowery shampoo…no, this wouldn't do at all.  
Sighing for the umpteenth time, I ordered Rose to stop. She skipped towards me, towards the gym mats, a hopeful gleam in her eyes. Was she also looking forward to our one-on-one combating as much as I was?

Dashing both our hopes, I suggested we go outside for a run. Disappointment flashed in her eyes momentarily before she shrugged nonchalantly and headed outside. I followed after her, both proud and disappointed at my self-control, and jogged alongside Roza, letting the cold, bitter January wind seep into my soul….

If she did-_somehow_-trip into me while running, it would only be common courtesy to help her re-orient herself, right?

**Thanks for reading. Don't forget to review!**


	59. Chapter 59

**Drabble:59  
POV:Third Person**

"Vika", Rose whispered loudly, peeking out from her and Dimitri's bedroom. When the younger dhampir looked at her and raised an eyebrow quizzically (damned eyebrow trick happened to run in the Belikov family), Rose gestured energetically, beckoning her closer.  
Curious, Viktoria walked towards her friend and would-be-sister-in-law, her towel in hand (as she had been headed towards the washroom to perform her morning ablutions). The moment she came nearby, the darker-haired girl grabbed her arm and pulled her into the room, apparently having gotten tired of waiting.  
Inside, Viktoria scanned the room with guardian-like precision, taking in everything by the bluish pre-dawn light. The room's usual wooden furniture was now accompanied by the additions of Rose and Dimitri's suitcases. Rose's shoes, socks, jeans and tees were strewn haphazardly across the room, but only Dimitri's beloved duster seemed to have escaped his luggage-case. And in the bed, Dimitri himself was asleep, the blanket bunched up around him. His body was curved as if spooning an imaginary figure, and Viktoria took just a moment to deduce that said imaginary figure seemed distinctly to be of Rose's shape and size. Still, she didn't get why Rose had so very urgently beckoned her into the room. So, she turned to face Rose, whose eyes were now sparkling with absolute mischief, and Vika knew that Rose had conjured up some hare-brained scheme and she was going to have to participate, Rose would see to that. Sighing once, Vika accepted the inevitable and Rose described her plan.

"Rose, do we have to?", Viktoria whispered, glancing nervously at her unsuspecting brother.

"Yes", Rose replied absentmindedly, toying with the object in her hands,

"But-"

"Don't bother. You promised", Rose glared at her co-conspirator.

"I never promised.", Viktoria pointed out in a last-ditch attempt.

"But you're already in. Don't you dare back down now."

"But what if Dimka-"

"I'll handle him", Rose assured.

"But-"

"No buts. It's a done deal. Now get up here", Rose decreed, getting up on the bed stealthily. Vika sighed, but followed her nevertheless. After getting into position, Vika looked at Rose and couldn't help letting her excited grin escape. This was gonna be fun.

"1, 2, 3", Rose mouthed and then she and Vika simultaneously screamed and started to jump on the bed. Dimitri was up in a flash, his pajama-bottoms and hair all disheveled. Before he could orient himself, a camera flash further blurred his vision. It took his bleary eyes some time to adjust to his surroundings and to focus on the two teenage girls howling with laughter on the bed-Rose with a camera clutched to her chest. Immediately knowing that he'd been played, Dimitri sighed and crossed his arms across his bare chest for effect. Rose immediately snapped another photo.

But when he tried to look stern and disapproving, the girls burst out into loud laughter. Sparing them one last withering look full of disapproval, Dimitri put on his shirt and muttering under his breath about teenagers and shenanigans, he disappeared into his bathroom. But the two friends lay laughing on the bed for quite some time, vowing to do this again, soon…

**Thank you for reading. Please leave a review. Cheers!**


	60. Chapter 60

**Drabble:60  
POV:Third Person**

"Guardian Alves", the 20-year-old dark-haired male nodded at his jovial superior.  
"Guardian Miller.", the older man nodded back, recognizing him. "How was your first day as a Royal Guard?"  
"Pleasant, sir. But I was just at the Court's dining hall, and I found no Royal Guardians there."  
"None of us normally go there during dinner-time.", Luka Alves smiled privately, as if enjoying some secret joke.  
"But-", the younger dhampir hesitated, not sure if he was overstaying his welcome.  
"Yes?"

"But, do we have separate dining facilities?", he asked finally.

"Not anymore. But you know that, don't you, Jeremy?", the older man commented, eyeing the boy quizzically.

"Yes, sir. So, where is everyone?"  
Guardian Luka frowned a moment before the realization dawned on him. "No one's told you." Seeing the still-confused look of the newbie, he continued, "Doesn't matter. Follow me." And without waiting for a reply, he began walking.

"Guardian Alves? Where are we going?", Jeremy asked, trying to keep up with the brisk-paced dhampir.

"To meet up with the others." No more was said till they reached an ornate door.

"Sir? We're outside the Queen's dining quarters.", Jeremy said tentatively, peeking at the older guardian to see if he was pranking him.  
"I know. Everyone else is already inside."

"Why?", Jeremy asked warily.

"For our daily dose of entertainment.", he looked at the younger man a moment before continuing. "Now, this may come as a shock, so brace yourself."

"What do you-", Jeremy began, only to be cut off as Luka pushed open the doors and the noises from within poured out.

"Christian, you son-of-a-bitch!", an attractive feminine voice screamed, only to be insulted in kind by a male-voice.  
Following Luka into the room, Jeremy saw the Royal Guardians all lined up against the walls of the room or sitting around in free couches. Except for Guardian Rose Hathaway, who was sitting at the Queen's dinner table, glaring at the Queen's dark-haired boyfriend (who apparently had stolen fries off her plate). Not only were the guardians relaxed and laughing openly, but Jeremy would later learn they were placing bets as to who would win the duo's verbal duel. The Queen had her face (and smile) hidden behind her napkin, and was exchanging an exasperated look with the formidable Guardian Belikov, who only sighed deeply, and rolled his eyes at the squabbling duo, before digging into his salad. Said duo continued bickering energetically.  
Shocked, Jeremy followed Luka unthinkingly; still unable to process that a dhampir was insulting a Royal moroi so openly without reprimand. He kept staring at the foul-mouthed, pretty dhampir, waiting for someone to set her in place. Luka sat in the spot that one of his sub-ordinates just cleared for him, and turned to face Jeremy again. Seeing the boy's almost-horrorstruck face, he began to laugh freely before explaining to the others why. Some of them clapped Jeremy on his back and ruffled his hair before Guardian Hans came to him.  
"Welcome to prime-time entertainment, Guardian", he said, quite seriously. "Now if you're done gawking at Belikov's dauntless girlfriend, I suggest you get to socializing with others before we get to see another type of duel."  
After seeing Guardian Belikov's caustic look aimed at him, Jeremy set about doing just that.

**Thank you for reading. Please Review. Cheers!**


	61. Chapter 61

**Drabble:61  
POV:Third Person**

"Rose, come on!", Dimitri entreated again. "Talk to me!"

"Comrade, its nothing, leave me alone.", Rose pronounced, tight-lipped, dragging her irritated eyes away from his soulful ones, as she continued pacing across their bedroom.  
Dimitri was mystified, absolutely. Earlier that evening, he had collected her from Guardian HQ and taken her to one of her favorite restaurants in Court. He'd expected she'd be elated, but the reality was far from it. She was already in a foul mood when he'd collected her, and throughout the evening her mood had only soured further. In fact, she didn't wait till desserts, insisting on coming home as soon as they were through the main course. What Dimitri had hoped would be a romantic date had turned into a total disaster and the poor guy had no idea why…  
He continued observing his girlfriend from his vantage on their bed, watching her as she paced around, her face wrinkled with irritation. And no matter how much he pleaded with her, she just wouldn't tell him what was bothering her. Finally, unable to take it anymore, he got up and took her by the shoulders. "Roza, tell me what's bothering you. Now", he ordered in his serious-I'm-in-no-mood-for-bullshitting-anymore voice.  
Rose bristled at that, but after glaring at him some time, _surprisingly_ she complied. Her shoulders sagged as she admitted, "It's just the way they stare at you. God! Don't they have eyes? Can't they see you're taken?"  
"What are you talking about?", he asked her, frowning in puzzlement, as he pulled her towards the bed.  
"Females!", Rose exclaimed, throwing her hands up in the air in exasperation.  
"Females?", Dimitri asked, still confused.

"Yes, Comrade! Females!", Rose said, turning her irritated gaze on her boyfriend. "The female guardians at HQ, our waitress and maitre d', your fans back at the restaurant. They keep on making googly eyes at you and undressing you with their eyes".  
Dimitri pondered over this as he reclined on the bed, bringing Rose down with him. "And that's bothering you because?" , Dimitri trailed off, arching an eyebrow.  
"I don't like them ogling you like that", Rose admitted, snuggling into his chest. "You're mine".  
"As you're mine", Dimitri proffered, pulling her in for a kiss.

"Now, you have no reason to be concerned about my fan-base", Dimitri continued when they broke the kiss. "But I don't like seeing you unhappy, Roza. So tell me, how I can make it better?"  
"Well, I had an idea", Rose said slowly, giving him her most seductive man-eater smile. Dimitri's stomach sunk in trepidation as he accepted the inevitable.  
And that's how Dimitri spent a month going about Court, wearing a tag on his jacket's back that said 'Property of Rose Hathaway'.

**Thanks for reading. Don't forget to review!**


	62. Chapter 62

**Drabble:62  
POV:Third Person**

Sometimes Alberta liked to roam around campus during early evenings, when all the hallways, the quad and even the church remained empty, devoid of the normal clamor. It peace and tranquility de-stressed her as she strolled across campus, only accompanied by the whooshing of the wind through the trees and the chirping of birds.  
This evening, she was just wandering in a secluded path along the northern side of campus, a hundred or so feet from the running-tracks, and she reveled in the solitary walk, alone with her pensive thoughts.  
As she walked, she became aware that the lights in the gym were on. She puzzled as to who would be working out during such early hours, and then the answer came naturally to her. Dimitri. And Rose.

Dimitri had been working her over from the day she returned, and Rose had yet not unleashed her hell-hath-no-fury-like-Hathaway-mode on him, which was surprising. Other teachers could definitely take tips from Dimitri about keeping Rose in line. Not that he'd volunteer any; he was taciturn through and through. Deciding to check up on the duo, Alberta walked towards the gym, but her steps halted as an unfamiliar sound assaulted her ears-a man's deep laughter. It took her seconds to realize that Dimitri was laughing. Dimitri! Alberta had never heard the boy laugh so happily since they'd met, although you couldn't be around Rose and not laugh….some instinct made her retrace her steps instead of going forward.  
She got to the trees the moment Dimitri opened the gym doors. From her hiding-spot behind a pine tree, Alberta watched as Dimitri held the door open for his student. It was normal; Dimitri was chivalrous that way, always the picture of a gentleman. What didn't fit was that he was still smiling, albeit slightly, and that coming out of the building, Rose curtseyed him, a private smirk on her face. Rolling his eyes, Dimitri closed the door and walked towards the dhampir dorms with his protégé, eyes assessing the landscape as she babbled on beside him. Alberta watched, fascinated by this rare glimpse of a happy Dimitri. And Rose looked happy too.  
But that was not all, her instincts. She observed how adoringly Rose looked at her mentor. It was pretty apparent that Rose was crushing on Dimitri. Alberta would have expected Dimitri to behave detached and professional, but she was surprised to see that he looked at Rose affectionately too. And unbeknownst to them, their bodies were unconsciously leaning towards each other, mirroring one another. With a jolt, Alberta realized that Dimitri had feelings for Rose. She shouldn't have been surprised; she'd been there when he'd taken her in his arms in Spokane, when he'd unconsciously called her Roza during the Victor-manhunt. She'd seen how Rose had become more responsible under his tutelage…Still, two dhampirs? A mentor and his pupil and soon-to-be-co-guardian? It was reckless and stupid! She'd just decided on chewing out the duo, when something else crossed her mind…..Dimitri and Rose…..they were perfect for one another. Their company had shaped each other better, made them stronger…and technically, they weren't breaking any laws. Still, what was Dimitri thinking?

Then another image crossed Alberta's mind. Few days back, Alberta had come across the duo during lunch, and she'd seen Dimitri laughing. The boy had very few reasons or chances to be truly happy in his life, and Rose's life was just a-series-of-unfortunate-events. Did she really have the right to take away this joy from them?  
No, Alberta decided. She couldn't take this away, but she'd be keeping her eyes on them from now onwards. God forbid if anyone else found out. Sighing to herself, Alberta continued her stroll, her thoughts directed inwards this time.

**Thanks for reading! Please Review!**

**PS-Any Echelons here? PM me to discuss LLF+D. Cheers!**


	63. Chapter 63

**Drabble:63  
POV:Third Person**

Lissa had eaten at many, many high-end restaurants. Five-stars, specialty cuisines, exotic locations…you name it…and she'd done it. From chocolate-covered grasshoppers and kangaroo steaks to the softest and most mouth-watering gateau opera (well she was the Queen, she couldn't be seen drooling in public, but Rose had no such qualms, so yes absolutely mouth-watering) and the flakiest baklavas, she'd tasted them all. A lot of it was because her parents had been great travelers and usually took Andre and her along to exotic locations, and then Christian was an experimental cook (cactus soufflé, anyone?) and needless to say, her duties as Queen entailed travelling across the world and immersing in different cultures and eating their delicacies.  
And not only that, sometimes Rose and Dimitri took her and Christian along to little pubs, taverns and quaint hole-in-the-wall restaurants too, whenever they were travelling, to eat the best and most original fast-food.  
So, it might be prudent to assume that Lissa had ate possibly the best and worst of what the world had to offer. But if you asked her to recount her favorite food-related event, she probably couldn't….well, not until now.  
Sitting here, in the rustic home of her best friend's boyfriend's family, sharing a loaf of black bread with butter with Christian over coffee, and watching Rose and Dimitri pig out on food (much to the amusement of everyone present), Lissa knew she had never tasted anything better. And that she'd treasure this moment forever. For once, there was no troubles and she wasn't bound by her duties, here she was being treated as almost family ("We know how hard it is for Dimka to get friends, so we do our best to help him, and not make them run away from him. God only knows how he scored Roza, I mean have you….", Dimitri's youngest sister, Viktoria, had joked and rambled on) and being mothered by Olena….here she felt like her own self again, a fact that made Olena's mouthwatering and thoroughly appetizing food taste all that better. And Lissa was at peace, and happy….and needless to say, tension-free. For the first time in years, she was thoroughly enjoying herself, and not because she felt she should be happy, but because she genuinely was.  
As if the same realization had hit her, Rose raised her head from her plate (her cheeks stuffed with either the doughnuts or one of the many pastries on her plate), chocolate syrup staining the corner of her mouth, and looked directly at Lissa. Holding her eyes for a second, Rose beamed at her and then, again went back to the love of her life. Not Dimitri, food. Well, perhaps food did come in second to Dimitri now...but if the amused shaking of Dimitri's head was any indicator, maybe no. Lissa laughed happily and ignoring Christian's half-quizzical-half-amused look, brought up her coffee-cup to her mouth. Luke-warm black coffee with one spoon of sugar, just the way she loved it.

**Thank you for reading. Please leave a review!  
PS- Is Sonya Belikova younger than Dimitri or older? Can someone please tell me, because I'm really confused about it?**


	64. Chapter 64

**Drabble:64  
POV:Third Person**

The time following Dimitri's rebirth as dhampir, Dimitri started to look at Lissa as his guardian angel. He almost totally disowned everyone else, avoiding Rose at all cost, and the only way Rose could learn about him was through Lissa.  
Lissa could see how much it hurt Rose…..Dimitri's abandonment. Rose hated having to ask Lissa about him, but she did it anyway…because she was madly in love with him. As for Dimitri, sometimes Lissa saw him meeting her eyes whenever he confessed something extremely gut-wrenching in a particular way, and it took her a few days to figure out that he was (maybe even unconsciously) thinking of Rose and that maybe Rose was looking through Lissa on their encounters. When Lissa informed him that she was blocking out Rose because Dimitri wanted privacy…..he had nodded, relieved, and muttered good. But, the momentary flash of disappointment in his eyes had betrayed him.

All in all, Lissa knew that Rose loved Dimitri deeply, and that Dimitri, even if he didn't return those feelings, cared for her deeply. Sometimes, he'd casually question Lissa about her life outside, trying to learn snippets of information about Rose. Rose, on the other hand, refused to take no for an answer for him, and kept up her efforts to get to him. Lissa felt guilty that she could see their angst and they couldn't see each other's, or even comfort one another. She wanted to do something, to help them somehow….

Except for…..Lissa loved it. She loved seeing Dimitri, her could-have-been guardian confide in her, she loved it when he promised to protect her….Lissa told herself she liked it because he was behaving like the guardian he used to be….that he was returning to himself, and she was glad because of that, but that sounded false even to her own self. As for Rose, Lissa hated that her best friend was suffering so much….but she couldn't help but like the fact that Rose was confiding in _her_ about her insomnia and her doubts about Dimitri's recovery, that _her _Rose was treating her like her best friend again….that Rose was dependant on Lissa. Lissa loved it, absolutely loved her hold over the two star-crossed lovers, who really (it seemed) were fated to be apart. Besides, if _she _couldn't get her happy ending, why should they?  
Lissa knew that a lot of her savage satisfaction was due to spirit, and she took care to hide this side of her from everyone, even blocking her thoughts from Rose, so not to hurt her. But Lissa knew that not all of it was the spirit's influence, some of it was her own feelings…she just didn't know the extent of it. And really, did it matter? It was clear that between the two of them, Rose and Dimitri would destroy their relationship forever, and the least Lissa could do was comfort them afterwards….and she'd love doing that, every bit of it…

**A very vicious stance on Lissa, I know. But once the idea got in my head, I just couldn't help pen it out.  
Like? Hate? Let me know. Review please! Cheers!**


	65. Chapter 65

**Drabble:65  
POV:Third Person**

There's something Rose had noticed about Dimitri from almost the first time they'd met. She'd found it both amusing and endearing that Dimitri always, _almost always without fail_, averted his eyes whenever any females in his near vicinity appeared wearing clothes that made him feel uncomfortable, which included body-hugging, leg-baring clothes, any short dresses, mini skirts, sheer or gauzy materials, even bikinis…or so Rose observed.

She'd seen how Dimitri would look away from scantily-clad, too-much-flesh-baring women, refusing to look at them directly, be they his colleagues, his friends or his very many admirers. But if it was one of his sisters, Dimitri would shake his head disapprovingly (which normally would sent said sisters hunting for 'decent' clothes) or cover them up with his duster (and piss off Vika-oops, I mean his sisters- in the process). He was just a gentleman, very old-fashioned that way. While most guys would take to ogling aforementioned females, Dimitri really wasn't the type to look them up, but then again, he was a man head-over-heels-faithfully-in love, so really, was it so weird for him to not have wandering eyes?  
Rose remembered clearly that the very first time they'd met, after being captured; Dimitri and two other guardians had accompanied Lissa and her to their apartment to get changed into more suitable clothes. And while the other guys had ogled her shorts-clad legs blatantly, Dimitri had positioned himself so to shield her from their ogling, and appraised the ugly paste-colored wallpaper of the room while she'd changed. Back then, she'd been too furious at being caught to appreciate the sweetness of his gesture, but later she did. But that was then… as for now, things were slightly different…for her, only her.  
For Rose was the only female Dimitri would devour with his eyes, be she dressing up or getting ready for bed or stepping out of the shower in her fluffy bathrobe or even just simply putting on her guardian uniform; Dimitri would stop whatever he was doing to _study_ her (as he called it) with rapt attention. And it wasn't only when they got together; even back at St, Vlad's, Dimitri used to observe her-_and only her_-so carefully whenever she ran, or took part in combats, or even trudging around campus with Lissa or Mason in tow. Rose still got goosebumps remembering how he'd looked at her in her body-hugging strapless dress the night of the lust-charm, even before she'd gone seeking him and 'attacked' him. Or the time when she'd torn her tights after tripping over her feet and how Dimitri had affixed his eyes on her skin as he had sewed up her tights (so sue her, she couldn't sew) and how electrifying his touch had felt on her skin.

And Rose loved it, she loved how he studied her, as if she was the single most beautiful and wonderful thing in the universe, she loved how territorial his gaze was, how he studied her body endlessly…how his eyes seemed to convey his love, possessiveness and admiration as they roved over her. And that made her feel so bloody good. And beautiful….somehow, only he managed to make her feel beautiful…

**Thanks for reading. Please review!**

**PS- About my last drabble, I'd like to clarify something about Lissa. She's been through a lot and spirit messes with her mind (or so I think) and really, everyone is flawed, and has a monster lurking within. And this was just my depiction of when her monster got the better of Lissa, I don't think that's how she's always is. That's all. Cheers!**


	66. Chapter 66

**Drabble:66  
POV:Rose**

_Dear Dimitri,_

_I know this is absolutely stupid, but Deidre insists writing to you will be helpful-the word cathartic might have been flaunted-so here I am. I don't know where to start, so I'll just bring you up-to-date since __the last time__…our last encounter._

_I'm back in St. Vlad's, as you know, and surprisingly, no one tried to keep me away. It seems I'm not as expendable as I thought. If you were here, you'd have laughed at me for even considering that and said something so sweet it would've made my heart flutter. If I was lucky, you might even have held my hands and looked at me in that way which made me feel beautiful. Comrade, did you know you're the only person who'd called me beautiful? You were. And you made me feel so beautiful. __Sometimes, I__…_

_Anyways, I'm back and Alberta's been training me. It was very generous of her, even though she's no you (then again, I'm biased). Plus, she doesn't make me train at ungodly hours. It's 5 o'clock now and if you were here, we'd be halfway through our morning-session-probably sparring. I never did tell you, but I loved sparring. Physical contact aside, you forgot to put your walls up while fighting. Afterwards, there would be just this one moment when you'd look at me like I was the most precious thing, before you slammed your mask in place. But that look, Dimitri-it gave me strength to face everything, and now, I just have the memories..._

_I don't know why I'm crying,__ this is stupid and pointless, and it's not like you're reading this, but for some inexplicable reason, it makes me feel like you're here-sitting at my desk and listening to me oh so seriously, like you always did. _

_Anyways, Lissa and Christian are on the rocks, but it's obvious they love each other. I give them 2 months maximum to get back together….Christian knew, by the way. Alberta too. About us, I mean; and they approved. Mom came over last week and you were right, now that I acknowledge her as a person objectively, we do see eye to eye more often. I told her about us and after I reassured her you never forced me into anything, she seemed…less upset. Said she knew something was going on. She even said you were the type of man I should fall in love with. Shocker, right? Though if you were here, you might have ended up with black eyes, concussion and broken bones. And Abe would've threatened you to an inch of your life, and you'd go running to Baia. I can totally imagine you countering me, saying nonsense Roza, I'd never leave you. You'd have eased my doubts with that crinkly-eyed smile of yours that never failed to melt my heart..._

_Speaking of family, I love your family Comrade, even Yeva, though she irritated the-hell-out-of-me. Olena is so great, your sisters are awesome and the food, oh Lord the food your Mom cooked! They accepted me whole-heartedly; they took me in….and I felt like I was….home. Oh, and Olena apparently told your friend, Guardian Liam about us. He dropped by last week to check up on me when Lionel tattooed me for my Siberia kills. We talked quite a bit and now I know your dirty secrets, Comrade. All the campus guardians and my mom attended the ceremony, but my heart still hurt each time someone congratulated me, because all I could think about was when you'd done that. __That night I cried myself to sleep, Comrade. It hurts; it hurts so bad…_

_Practice starts in 10, so I'd best wrap it up. Alberta's really not cool with unpunctuality. After training and classes (and therapy with Deidre), I'll go to the library with Liss. While she studies, Eddie and I crack jokes and Liss shakes her head at us indulgently. Tonight, I have a date with Adrian. My heart's not really into it, but I made a promise, and now I have to uphold it._

_I'll be thinking of you, Comrade, every minute of the day. You're here with me, in my heart and if your letters are any indication, I'm on your mind too. I tried bottling up my feelings, but Deidre said that would only harm me in the long run. She was right, but don't tell her that. I really, really miss you and I may even take up believing in a higher being if Oksana's fairytale proves true and I can feel sheltered in your arms again… _

_I'll be writing to you again and soon, because this made me feel….better. And I love you, Dimitri. But you know that, don't you?_

_Forever and always,_

_Your Roza_

**Firstly, sorry for my long absence, but circumstances forced me to be away. Hope you enjoyed this, and please review! Cheers!**


	67. Chapter 67

**Drabble:67  
POV:Third Person**

Celeste had a very healthy amount of respect for Dimitri Belikov. He was level-headed, dependable and a thoroughly good person. But she just wished he were a bit more….happy and less stoic.  
Since he'd come to St. Vladimir's, he'd never tried to initiate friendships, happy to spend his time alone, reading books or doing his duty. Forget dating, he very rarely socialized, and even then with just a handful of guardians. He worked hard and seemed to find pleasure in that, but he was never happy.  
And then, Rose Hathaway showed up. And Dimitri changed. At first, he began sitting in the guardian-lounges more frequently, often rubbing his temple with the heel of his hand or staring out the windows vacantly and taking 2 to 3 painkillers after every session he had with his 'extraordinary' pupil.  
Over time, he began to smile, even socialize a tad bit more, like actually sitting with other guardians during dinner, or engaging Yuri in a conversation about some weird-sounding Oriental dish they'd both apparently tried.  
But, 4 months with Hathaway, and Belikov was a changed man. Nowadays, he laughed, teased others and had friendly-albeit short-conversations with all guardians. What everyone had failed to do in the past one and a half year Dimitri had been in St. Vlad's, Rose had managed in 4 months.

One evening, as Celeste was returning from duty, walking alongside Zach, she'd heard a sound that was becoming increasingly familiar-Dimitri's throaty laughter. Looking ahead, she found the tall guardian brandishing an amused smile and a weight on his back. Not just any weight, but 110 pounds of firecrackers embodied in the form of Rose Hathaway. He was carrying Rose on his back, who was pouting belligerently while muttering something-something that undoubtedly was the cause of Dimitri's amusement. Seeing the very odd scene, Celeste exchanged an incredulous look with Zach, who seemed just as mystified.  
Spotting the duo, Dimitri nodded at them with a small smile before heading in their direction. When they came within hearing range, Dimitri explained, "Rose sprained her ankle this afternoon at practice, but refused to be on bed rest at the hospital."

"And Dimitri here volunteered to give me a piggyback ride back to my dorm", Rose added on, explaining their predicament with a large grin. The other two guardians chuckled at Rose's antics.  
"Yeah, volunteered", Dimitri scoffed, rolling his eyes, a habit Celeste was sure he'd picked up from his student. "She emotionally blackmailed me into it".

"How could you say that, Comrade?", Rose asked, schooling her features into one of heartbreaking sadness. "I thought you cared about me. Now if I'm being such a burden, let me down and I can limp over to my dorm. Don't worry-I'm sure I will get there….someday".

Dimitri looked at his student exasperatedly before giving a knowing look at his colleagues, silently saying 'what did I tell you'. Celeste couldn't help but smile at the display.

"I'll best let you two go on before she guilts you too", Dimitri said cheekily, nodding his goodbye at Celeste and Zach.  
"Me? Guilt-trip? Never!", Rose pronounced with faux-innocence. "Although I am craving some doughnuts. Hey Celeste! Would you pretty-please-with-whipped-cream-on-top get me some? I'll love you forever!", Rose shouted back at Celeste, who chuckled indulgently, watching the mentor-pupil duo disappear towards the dorms, squabbling as they went.

Yes, Dimitri Belikov had changed, perhaps for the better, and Celeste knew it was all due to Rose. He'd stopped fighting the demons that haunted him or had made peace with them, all thanks to Rose. And Celeste was happy for it. Dimitri Belikov was someone who deserved happiness.

If circumstances were different, Celeste would have thought they made an absolutely adorable couple, but Dimitri was too self-disciplined and Rose too young to be in a relationship, their mentoring relationship aside. But Celeste couldn't help but think they looked very homely, bickering like an old couple. Shaking her head to dismiss her errant thoughts, Celeste pushed open the door to the Guardian's building and went to hunt down some doughnuts.

**Thank You for reading. Don't forget to review. Cheers!**


	68. Chapter 68

**Drabble:68  
POV:Third Person**

Jill.

Jillian Mastrano.

Princess Jillian Mastrano-Dragomir.

In the space of a few heartbeats, the young teenager went from being one to the other, a fact that changed her life, perhaps forever. By claiming her birthright, Jill went from being a lowly, slightly awkward water-user moroi to being the only link that would sustain the reign of her half-sister. Though she wished them to be more like sisters, Lissa had other plans; she seemed hell-bent on keeping Jill at an arm's length….safe, but not nearby.

Whenever Jill looked at Lissa, she saw the loss of her former life, a life sheltered from the vicious politics and nauseating mind-games that came with being a royal. And she knew that whenever Lissa could bear to look at her (and it really wasn't often) Lissa saw the perfidy of her father (whom she'd obviously idolized) and not the extension of her family. Family…..

Rose had asked Jill to give it a few months, to let Lissa settle down with life at court, before expecting Lissa to accept her, but Jill knew she'd never. Oh yes, she might put up a front for the rest of the world and coddle Jill a bit, for propriety's sake…or for appeasing Rose, but Jill knew she'd never be accepted by Vasilisa Dragomir as a sister. Jill had known it the moment she'd met Lissa's eyes the day she'd announced her identity in the conference-room at court. Lissa had met her eyes for the fraction of a second, before looking away, but that had been enough. She was no sister to the blonde, and the blonde had told her just so with her eyes. Still, Jill couldn't help but hope that someday, someday things were gonna change for the better.

And then she died, and was brought back to life….not by her spirit-user half-sister, but by Adrian Ivashkov. When she'd woken up, it had been Rose who'd held her and explained what happened; it had been Dimitri and Eddie who'd guard her day and night; it had been Sonya Karp, Adrian and Rose who'd helped her come to terms with her new life; it had been Christian who'd bought her a get well soon card and made her soup. Not Lissa. Never Lissa.

Apparently Lissa had come to see her when she'd been unconscious, and had shed quite a many tears at her bedside, but Jill knew…she knew….it wasn't for her.

She was Princess Jillian for the rest of the world, Jill Mastrano, Jilly or Jailbait to her closest friends…but to Lissa, she wasn't even Jill. She'd never been. And maybe, just maybe, she'll never be.

**I'm sorry for the long break, but I promise to at least try to update more frequently in future. But thank you for sticking with me and don't forget to review. Cheers!**


	69. Chapter 69

**Drabble:69**

**POV:Third Person**

Guardian Tucker entered the surveillance room, expecting it to be empty as usual at dinner-time but he was met with the unexpected sight of one of his underlings frowning at his PC screen. Curios, he drifted towards the younger guardian noiselessly, ready to give him a piece of his mind if said underling was found to be playing solitaire. But no, the red-headed-youngster was busy rewinding and fast-forwarding a tape, his elbow supporting his chin and his eyebrows furrowed together. Standing right behind the boy, the older guardian coughed discretely.

Immediately the younger man stood up, almost toppling over his chair in surprise before nodding at his supervisor.

"Guardian Conway, isn't it?", the older man asked, looking at the boy's name-tag.

"Yes-yes sir", he affirmed hesitantly.

"Why are you here during dinner-time?"

"I was just….", Guardian Conway mumbled, shifting his eyes to his brown-boots.

"Come again?"

Conway took a deep breath before exhaling sharply and meeting the eyes of his supervisor. "I was just going through a tape from last night."

"Any irregularities?", the older man asked, alarm bells ringing in his head.

"Not per se", Conway answered, suddenly very interested in his fingernails.

Tucker scrutinized him a moment before ordering him to replay the tape. When Conway protested lightly, he ignored the boy and settled himself in the seat, hitting the play button.

The tape started at the loading dock, where 5 SUVs pulled up. After a few moments, Queen Vasilisa stepped out, surrounded by members of the Royal Guard, and was immediately pulled into a hug by her beau. As the tape continued, the group moved towards the palace facilities, where the monarch dismissed her guards and disappeared into her apartment with her boyfriend. The guardians dispersed, but the tape (made by combining different camera-angles) followed 3 guardians as they made their way to guardian housing. Guardian Tucker recognized them by sight, but he still didn't get why he was watching a tape of them. He spared a look at Conway-who seemed intent on melting with the walls of the room-before refocusing on the screen.

By now, the trio had reached the front desk, and after showing their badges and surrendering their guns and holsters, they received keys to their rooms. The older, grey-haired man stashed his key in his pocket and the young, French-plaited brunette spun her keys in her hand, smirking at the third guardian, who arched an eyebrow before shaking his head and leading their group to the elevator bay.

The guardians rode up the elevator together, stopping first as the grey-haired man took leave of his dark-haired colleagues. As soon as the door closed behind him, the other two slowly turned to face one another. They stared at each other impassively a moment before bursting into peals of laughter. They continued laughing, clutching their bellies and rubbing at their eyes before they left the elevator, hands reaching out to support one another. The tape continued from another angle as the duo approached an apartment, still laughing raucously and disappeared inside. And with that, the tape ended.

Guardian Tucker frowned before turning to Conway. "You know them?"

"Yes, sir. I mean, I don't personally know them, but I know of them. Well, everybody does."

"Wanna tell me why you're stalking Belikov and Hathaway?"

"I wasn't, sir!", Conway protested, flushing slightly. "I was just trying to figure out why they're laughing."

Guardian Tucker snorted softly before standing up. "Son, I'm gonna tell you something I want you to remember well".

Conway nodded, biting his lip lightly.

Tucker walked towards his office, opening the door before facing the young man again. "Dimitri used to be a level-headed man. Then he met Hathaway, who was crazy to begin with. Now they're young fools, irrational with love. The end. Now, go get me a cup of coffee. And stop stalking them, capische?".

"Yes, sir", Conway mumbled, almost running out of the room, leaving Guardian Tucker laughing to himself.

**Hey, thank you for reading and please review! And yay! Happy birthday to me! **

**: D**


	70. Chapter 70

**Drabble:70**

**POV:Third Person**

Lissa had no idea what made her agree to a dance with a more than tipsy Diego Conta. Okay, fine social decorum dictated she be dancing with other royals, especially influential royals like the Contas. But she began to regret it from the first musical note, when instead of her waist, Diego's hands settled at the small of her back. Still, she smiled primly, and continued to dance, alarm bells ringing in her head.

They danced to 'The Dying Swan' by Saint-Seans for a few minutes, exchanging pleasantries, before one of Diego's hands started to drift lower. Both alarmed and shocked, Lissa glared at the now-grinning-royal, but before she could get a word out, a hand clapped on Diego's shoulder.

Irritated, Diego turned around, giving Lissa her first view of the (welcome) intruder. Christian Ozera. In a silver dress shirt that made his blue eyes appear unforgivably icy. Not that Lissa noticed, not that she cared because he'd broken up with her 6 weeks and 4 days ago.

"Mind if I cut in?", Christian asked Diego coldly, his menacing voice promising violence if Diego failed to give the appropriate answer. Diego took one look at Christian's hardened face and swallowed his protests, before nodding and hastily making his exit. But Christian's eyes followed his tuxedo-clad figure till he disappeared to the other end of the opulent ballroom. And Lissa took this opportunity to study-I mean, observe-him.

"You wanna dance?", Christian asked her, his voice and his eyes infinitely warmer. Lissa could only nod her assent before linking her fingers with Christian's. They danced quietly for a few minutes before Lissa worked through the Christian-induced haze in her mind enough to say thank you.

"Don't worry, the asshole had it coming", Christian said tersely, glaring away (presumably at aforementioned asshole).  
"Still, thank you Chris, you didn't have to", Lissa mumbled, her heart thrumming violently at their near proximity. "I shouldn't have said yes to the dance."

"But you did", Christian said bitterly. "To Conta, to Badica and to even Adrian's far more disgusting cousin".

"I had to-"

"Bullshit, Liss", Christian muttered darkly. "You didn't have to"

"Oh yeah? I'm trying to uphold my family's reputation here, not that you'd know anything about it", Lissa muttered cockily, immediately regretting her words.

Christian froze for a second before removing his hand from her back, but Lissa refused to let go of their entwined hands. "Chris, I'm sorry, I didn't mean that. Please Chris, don't go."

Christian looked at her glistening jade eyes and sighed. He knew he could never say no to her, not when she looked at him this way. "That hurt, Liss", he said tersely.

"I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me", Lissa said, drawing closer and burying her head in his shirt. Their hands automatically wrapped around each other. "I hate these things with a vengeance, but I can't say no to Tatiana, even when she throws these 'suitable' suitors my way. Really, thank you for saving me from Diego. He was…forget it"

Christian muttered asshole and they both laughed silently, reveling in their closeness before the music ended and Christian pulled back. Now his icy eyes were smoldering and Lissa's heartbeat picked up double-time.

"I don't like seeing you with them, with their hands on you"

"Oh, yeah? Why?". Lissa asked seductively, trying to channel a bit of Rose.  
Christian' smirk told her he knew exactly what she was doing. He leaned closer, shattering her with his warmth before whispering in her ear, "We may not be dating now, but you're mine. Never forget". He then kissed her intensely for a moment, in full view of the ballroom, before pulling back, smiling mischievously and walking away. Lissa stood rooted to the spot with a small smile. Mine, he said, she thought gleefully before grabbing a champagne flute from a passing waiter and walking away from the dance-floor.

**Thanks for reading! Please Review! Cheers!**


	71. Chapter 71

**Drabble:71  
POV:Third Person**

He fell to the floor-collapsed, really-gasping for breath.

Even though he was down on his knees on the cold linoleum floor, his eyes followed the steadily retreating group of guardians, and the 'fugitive' they were escorting. The dhampir in the middle of the group was short in stature, far shorter than her companions, but every eye was on her. If not for the heinous crime she was supposed to have committed (and he knew that she was no more capable of that than he), all eyes would still be on her.

She had this way of just being…..so full of life-that commanded attention. She was someone who could fill up an entire room with her mere presence, assuage all doubts with one smile, and be adored by everyone in spite of the reputation she had gathered.

But that didn't matter now, none of it did, because there she was, being led away for a crime she didn't commit and here he was, unable to help her anyhow. He took a deep, shuddering breath and forced himself to stand up on shaking legs (even that simple movement caused his muscles to scream in protest). Like any guardian worth his salt, he surveyed his surroundings, the other customers in the cafeteria-both moroi and dhampir-stared at him with blatant shock and fear; and his own person guards, watched him with shock, not fear….and something else, something akin to awe. Not awe-amazement. That someone like him, a mere school guardian (as he'd been before) had taken on Royal Guards-multiple, at that-and not lost. That he'd fought an entire entourage of the most elite guardians, and not even in his own defense.

Then, one of them came forward-a Guardian Richards-and helped him stand up straighter.

"Its okay, son. She's wild, but not mercenary. They'll clear this up soon", he murmured, brushing dust off Dimitri's T-shirt. The other guardians also came closer then, albeit cautiously, and helped upright the chairs and tables that Dimitri had shoved during the fight.

"Well, then come along. I suppose we'll be paying a visit to the Princess", Richards said more audibly, once the furniture was rearranged. "See if you can manage it without incapacitating us", he quipped before turning around and walking out of the cafeteria full of wide-eyed customers.

Dimitri followed after him dutifully, still trying to regain his breath. His muscles and bruises were making their aches known, but Dimitri could hardly pay them any attention, especially when his mind was otherwise occupied….

The scene kept playing through his mind over and over again- Rose and him verbally-fighting…the sudden arrival of the Royal Guards. The moment one of them grabbed _her_, something inside him had snapped_. Rose was in danger, his Roza was in trouble._ He'd fought for her, and he'd have gone on fighting till her enemies were annihilated or he perished, and Rose had known that. Only she could have ended his assault, and she'd done exactly that, telling him everything she wanted to say with her eyes, and he'd returned the favor, trying to convey everything he couldn't say….._yet_.

She'd hugged him fleetingly, trying to draw his warmth, and cupped his face and pressed a lingering kiss against his jaw before murmuring be careful, and being led away. But she'd continued looking back at him till she couldn't anymore, and Dimitri had stayed stock-still, trying to be her one constant in the chaos.

Only after she'd stopped looking had he allowed himself to collapse, his head filled with jumbled, racing thoughts and a hurt, worse than any physical pain, ripping his heart into bits. Even now, as he followed his guardians mindlessly, not knowing where he was being led, but hoping against hope, it was to _her_, his heart was breaking. One tear slipped down his cheek as he realized he'd never asked for her forgiveness, or even said how much he loved-no, cared for her…and now, there was a chance she'd never know…..

His whole body ached, his head hurt from errant thoughts and he was so exhausted by the morning's encounter….but that sole spot against his jawline where her lips had placed one-far-too-brief-kiss…..that tingled. The phantom heat from where her hands had touched him seeped into his very soul, awakening what he'd been sure had died within him…

He was pulled from his reverie as Guardian Richards knocked at an ornate door, and Dimitri realized he'd been brought to guest housing. The door opened and a smiling platinum blonde greeted him….Lissa…

Dimitri steeled himself, suppressing his emotions. Rose needed him now, and no way in hell was he gonna fail her now….not again.

**Okay, so who could identify this scene?**

**Thanks for reading, and your comments/suggestions/thoughts are always appreciated. Cheers!**


	72. Chapter 72

**Drabble:72**  
**POV:Third Person**

It was Sydney's first visit to Moroi Court after Palm Springs, and it was exponentially better than her first time ever. This time, she wasn't just another blind devotee of the Alchemists' code, instead she was her own person (and she quite liked the sound of that). This time, she wasn't surrounded by a bunch of unfriendly guardians, or awaiting repercussions for aiding a criminal. Instead, she was surrounded by her close friends and pseudo-family, in a café, which was a far cry from the guardian building she had been escorted to the first time.  
The booth was clearly meant for 6 people maximum, but that hadn't stopped Dimitri, Rose or Christian from pulling up chairs from nearby tables, not that anyone complained…..not that anyone dared to complain. Because, after all, this was the moroi queen's beau and a rather formidable (most would say crazy) royal guard…and her even scarier and more lethal (better?) half.  
In the booth itself, Sydney was sitting on one corner of the sofa in the booth, staring at a plate of pancakes with maple syrup. On her right was Jill, stabbing at her fruit-salad while stealing glances at her sandy-haired guardian, Eddie, who happened to be talking excitedly about cafeteria-versus-home-cooked-chicken-nuggets with Dimitri's younger sister, Viktoria. Viktoria was making her way through her plate of mac-and-cheese, while swinging her legs under the table (and occasionally hitting someone or the other's shins or ankles. Beside her, Sonya Karp-sorry, Tanner-sat, nursing her coffee and sharing a plate of gogosi with her husband, who looked bemused, as if he didn't actually know what he was doing here. Beside him was Dimitri, who was eating his chicken sandwich and black coffee (its fumes, by the way, was enough to kick awake Sydney, even from the distance), and tracing random patterns on Rose's legs, which were deposited in his lap. Catching Sydney's observing eyes, Dimitri spared her a (ridiculously handsome) smile before looking back adoringly at the love of his life. Rose was too busy shoveling French toast in her mouth and stealing fries off Christian's plate when he wasn't looking to notice her beau's loving gaze. And the reason Christian couldn't fully concentrate on his alarmingly diminishing plate of fries and nuggets (a breakfast-habit carried over from school days presumably) was because he was busy texting his own significant other, who'd been caught up in a council meeting and couldn't make it to breakfast.  
And speaking of loves, there was Sydney's own beau, who was walking over with a mug of coffee and an ice-cream sundae in his hands, and attracting an inordinate amount of admiring eyes due to his sexy-and-I-know-it swagger. Rolling her eyes at him, Sydney refocused on her maple-syrup-smeared-pancakes, which seemed to be mocking her with their glaziness (goddammit! She knew she shouldn't have gossiped with Rose for half of last night or stayed awake the other half doing….umm, well….doing not-a-lot-of-sleeping with Adrian). As she sighed, Adrian dragged yet another chair to their overcrowded booth and deposited the coffee-cup in front of her before sitting down and placing his ice-cream bowl on the red-and-white-checkered-tablecloth-covered-table. The moment he did, Rose, Christian and Jill lunged at it, brandishing their begged, borrowed and stolen spoons, eliciting a shocked gape and scowl from Adrian and laughter from the others.  
Sydney laughed, genuinely happy and glad to be here, which somehow seemed to be an inkling of a happy ending. None of them were perfect, not by a far stretch of anyone's imagination, but they were friends who considered each other to be family, and maybe…..just maybe, that's all you need to be happy. Smiling at her mushy thoughts, Sydney cut into her pancakes with a smile, which only broadened, when Adrian's hand snaked around her waist and squeezed reassuringly.

**Okay, so all of you who guessed about the last drabble got it right. Let's see how you do this time….among the three who lunged at Adrian's sundae, whose spoon was begged, borrowed and stolen?**  
**Do review! Cheers!**


	73. Chapter 73

**Drabble:73**

**POV:Third Person**

Jill nudged Eddie, causing him to shift his attention from Rose's for-all-intents-and-purposes-sister-in-law to his charge. Jill beckoned him closer, her eyes fixed through the tacky mirror hanging on one side of the booth to the tall, bronze-haired-moroi standing in line at the counter. "Hey, Eddie", she whispered, shifting her eyes to scan the rest of her friends see whether anyone else had seen what she had (and finding Christian studying the same figure with narrowed eyes, likewise guessing what Jill had realized). "Say….could I borrow your spoon?"  
Eddie looked surprised at her request, sparing one glance at the fork in her hand, which was hovering over the salad on her plate, before looking at her more closely.

"Please?". Jill smiled innocently, trying to stop anyone else from guessing what both she and Christian had realized. Eddie frowned at her too-innocent expression, but extracted his spoon from his cereal bowl, wiped it clean using a napkin and handed it over. He seemed adamant on watching why Jill would want a spoon for her salad, because lets face it, all the fine dining that came with being the Dragomir princess probably had enabled her to eat soup with just a fork; but, fortunately, Viktoria reclaimed his attention immediately, redirecting him back to their ongoing debate. In spite of the jealously that Jill felt at the dhampir claiming Eddie's attention, she couldn't help but feel secretly grateful for the distraction.

Mission accomplished, Jill turned her attention to Christian, who had just managed to (very stealthily) swipe Rose's spoon, and proceeded to move his hand below the table, hiding the spoon from view. After accomplishing his goal, Christian surveyed his table-mates to see whether anyone else had caught him in the act, before exchanging a relieved grin with Jill. They both smiled widely at one another before turning their attention back to Adrian, and just biding their time.

Rose stopped inhaling the food on her plate for a moment and looked up, just catching Jill and Christian exchange I'm-up-to-no-good grins. She surveyed the table, searching for the source of their amusement before looking at the duo again, and seeing their attention fixed not on the table but on the breakfast queue, she too shifted her attention to the object of their surveillance. And immediately zeroed on the bowl that Adrian was carrying in his left hand while waiting in queue for coffee. A glass bowl. Filled with vanilla ice cream. Mixed with nuts and bananas. Topped with a cherry and whipped cream; and generously drizzled with chocolate sauce. Yum!

She looked at Jill and Christian again, seeing that their full attention was on the same bowl that had Rose's mouth watering and grinned before placing her hand beside her plate, ready to pick up her spoon. To her surprise, it wasn't there; but, she could have sworn she'd put it there right after helping herself to a 'generous' amount of maple syrup. She frowned and looked to the floor-son of a bitch! Chris had stolen her spoon! She saw him twirling it in his hand, and got ready to chew him to bits, before realizing it would give away the game. She formed a contingency plan but made a note to herself to ensure Chris would pay for this theft…..soon.  
"Dimitri, I can't seem to find my spoon. Could I borrow yours?", she asked him sweetly, sparing a glance to Jill and Christian, who'd both stopped watching Adrian to spare her a shocked glance. She smiled brightly at them as Dimitri murmured of course Roza and handed her his spoon, placing a kiss against her forehead. She smiled at him genuinely before going back to sharing meaningful glances with her two partners-in-crime-to-be and shifted her glance to Adrian, who was now making his way to the table, smirking cockily-completely unaware of his impending doom. Rose grinned wickedly, readying herself for the attack, thinking that this was gonna be fun.

**Kudos to FantasyAddict24 for getting it right! Cheers!  
Thanks for reading. Cheers!**


	74. Chapter 74

**Drabble:74  
POV:Third Person**

Dimitri Belikov was a man that Janine Hathaway liked, even admired, for many reasons….his competency and level-headedness being the prime. He was always in control of his emotions and he never rushed to action, no matter how violently he might feel about things. He also never spoke in an overly loud voice or made a scene. So, yes she liked his level-headedness…

But sitting here, outside the operating room, she couldn't admire it. Rose had been shot, by Tasha Ozera of all people, and then directly rushed to the OR for surgeries. She was inside, battling for her life, hanging on by a tenuous thread, and here-outside-her friends were freaking out. Vasilisa Dragomir had come in, already hysterical, and had screamed at the doctors for a good hour to be allowed to help Rose, before being led away sobbing by her ashen-faced boyfriend, who looked like the ground had slipped from right under his feet. Adrian Ivashkov had shown up too, smelling like strong whiskey and cigarette ash-frantic-but also wanting to help, but he too had been denied. Eddie Castile, Mia Rinaldi, Jill Mastrano, hell even Guardian Alberta Petrov had shown up, along with a half dozen court guardian, all frantic for any news or updates, but had left to help with the commotion reigning at Court. All of them had squeezed Janine's shoulder or patted Ibrahim's back before leaving, offering some sort of comfort. And Ibrahim…

Poor Ibrahim. That man had only recently met his daughter….his sole heir, and had only begun to settle in his role as father…only to have this happen. He clearly loved _her_; you could see the pain and anger, in his eyes, clear as day. One thing was clear, that Tasha Ozera was a dead woman, whether sentenced or not. Ibrahim would see to that. He was taking turns pacing the hospital hallways, growling at the medical staff or just sitting with his head buried in his hands, shoulders hunched. Janine was no better, she'd cried more in the last hours than she had in the last 10 years. She was so mad she wanted to murder Natasha Ozera with her bare hands, she was also sad that she'd wasted so many years keeping her distance from her only daughter…and now, now it might be too late….to make amends..

And then, there was Belikov. Calm. Cool. Collected. He'd been sitting in a metal chair, looking steadfast at the closed door of the OR ever since Rose had been wheeled in. He hadn't moved one inch in the last several hours, neither had he shown any reaction to the queries or condolences offered by the visitors, just kept on staring at the damned doors, his face wiped of emotions. His shirt was drenched with Rose's blood and his hands were clenched into fists, but he made not one sound, nor looked away once from the doors. Janine wanted to shout at him, to know how he could remain so nonchalant or why he was putting on a front while his self-proclaimed love-of-his-life was fighting tooth and nail to survive, but she didn't. And after she caught sight of his eyes, she couldn't.

Ice. That's what his eyes were like. Frozen, numbing ice…..barren, hopeless. He wasn't putting on a front, he really was projecting his hopelessness, his desolation…..Janine knew for sure that if Rose didn't survive, neither would Dimitri….he had no life without her. He couldn't bear to live without her, he was hardly breathing without her now. And his pain….just the sight of his dead eyes was enough to cause Janine's sorrow to escalate.

If the world lost Rose Hathaway today, it would also lose Dimitri Belikov's soul. He might go on living, if only to protect _her_ charge, but he would be dead inside forevermore. So Janine let him be, all alone with his pain, his singular focus on the OR doors unwavering, as if somehow that (and his love and devotion) could keep Rose with them. So, Janine let him be. And she knew she'd never admired him more.

**Thanks for reading. Don't forget to update. Cheers!**


	75. Chapter 75

**Drabble:75  
POV:Third Person**

A few weeks after Lissa's coronation (after Rose's stitches were removed and she returned to her peak physical form) Rose and Dimitri had a weekend off, together for the first time…..and Dimitri had this nagging suspicion that it wasn't a coincidence but was more due to the Queen's interference.

In celebration of their mini-holiday, they woke up early (really early) Saturday morning and drove to a quaint town on the outskirts of Pennsylvania with a minor moroi population. Reaching their destination, Dimitri checked them into a motel while Rose reassured Lissa and her mom that yes, they had travelled safely and no, she wasn't going to do anything stupid or reckless.

Depositing their minimal luggage in the room, the duo went to a road-side inn for breakfast, after which they walked about town, hand in hand, shopping for kitschy souvenirs for their friends back at Court while ignoring the shocked looks of the local moroi and dhampirs at seeing a dhampir couple roaming around publicly.

After that, they had a lunch of steak, mashed potatoes and greens (Dimitri insisted on the greens) before returning to their motel and spending the afternoon in each other's company, just relaxing and enjoying the picturesque scenery over hot chocolate and butter cookies.

Come evening, they were out of the motel with hiking supplies and onto a trail leading into alpine woods. They hiked for a few hours, Rose singing in a slight off-key tune all the while, convinced that her singing would be enough to keep away predators of the carnivorous variety. Dimitri only shook his head at her absurd reasoning, but didn't dare argue, in fear that she'd coax him to sing too, a result of which would be that she'd run away from him in the opposite direction as fast as her legs could carry.

Anyways, after hiking for some time, they decided to stop at a nearby peak and set camp. Rose built a mini-bonfire while Dimitri set up their tent and then, they shared a dinner of marshmallows and beef jerky before retiring to their tent.

In the morning, after watching the sunrise, they decided to hike a bit before breakfast and to their immense surprise came across a little stream, where they fished to their heart's content. Well, Dimitri fished, while Rose splashed in the water before throwing a handful at him, which started an epic water-fight. Hours later, wearing their sun-dried clothes, they ate a meal of fried fish with a loaf of rye-bread and a can of tomato soup, which Dimitri had the foresight to bring.

They hiked a bit more, Dimitri trying to identify some of the rare and exotic flora and fauna, while Rose snapped picture after picture of them and their surroundings. It was evening before they decided to head back to civilization, satisfied with their alone-time. They were walking leisurely, Rose's head deposited on Dimitri's shoulder and his hand resting around her waist, when they heard a guttural scream. Instantly alert, the duo exchanged a look and a nod before drawing their stakes and soundlessly, heading in the direction of the noise.

In a little clearing, they saw about five strigois draining two morois, who had undoubtedly wandered away from the village and who looked pretty close to being dead. There was nothing that Rose or Dimitri could do for either and it would only be logical for them to walk away. Dimitri had almost decided that when he realized something. He looked back at Rose and saw the same realization in her eyes. This was the first time they would get to fight side by side. Sharing a grin and a fierce kiss, they silently dropped their luggage and jumped into the clearing, ready to blast the strigois to the afterlife. After it was all done, they picked their stuffs, washed away the strigoi blood and continued their walk to the town, stakes still drawn. They'd had a fantastic, relaxing vacation, ending with the added bonus of killing strigoi.

Little did they know then that most of their future vacations would end in the exact same way…..

**Thank you for reading! Please Review! Cheers!**

**PS-I'd like to take this opportunity to thank guest reviewer ****kitty, roza-dinka-reader, fantasyaddict24, jgdnam, fiera hathaway, madamerozabelikova and genesis chi for reviewing so many of my past drabbles and for sticking with me so far. Y'all are awesome!**


	76. Chapter 76

**Drabble:76  
POV:Third Person**

"No"

"Yes"

"No"

"Yes. And that's final!", the woman announced, crossing her hands in front of her body in a gesture of finality. But her three-year old son remained undeterred.

"No"

"Masey!"

"Mom!", he replied in the exact same tone, narrowing his eyes at his mother. Rose glared at her son a minute before throwing her hands in the air nonchalantly.

"Fine, have it your way then. I guess you don't wanna go over to Aunt Mia's then."

Mason-Ivan Belikov scoffed, unimpressed and rolled his chocolate brown eyes. "Nice try, mommy."

"You think I'm joking?", Rose challenged her son, quirking an eyebrow (a skill that she'd managed to muster after a couple thousand nights spent in her husband's bed….okay, so maybe they were otherwise occupied and she wasn't trying too hard. So what?)

"Let's be reasonable here.", Mason-Ivan said, sitting up straighter and clasping his hands the exact way Dimitri did when he had something important to say. "Uncle Adrian is taking Aunt Sage and Jilly out, which means Uncle Eddie is going too. Aunty Liss is busy and Grammie has duty. Uncle Chris has classes, which eliminates Daddy too. So, you're gonna have to leave me with Aunt Mia."

"Or I could just leave you with Grandpa.", Rose countered, flashing a quick smile at her husband at her son's grown-up manners. Said husband, who was watching this almost daily ritual between his son and wife, returned her smile with a gorgeous one of his own that still made her heart skip a beat.

"You wouldn't.", Mason-Ivan said petulantly, reclaiming Rose's attention. "Remember that fish that Uncle Chris left him to watch for just 40 minutes? 40 minutes, Mom! And it died. You sure you'll leave me alone with Gramps?"

"You're right, I wouldn't.", Rose shuddered, thinking about the poor fish Abe had miraculously managed to kill while just watching it.

"So, your argument is invalid.", the three-year-old concluded sagely. "Now, can I go watch TV?"

"Not so fast, Masey!", Rose ordered, stopping her son's hasty exit to the den.

"Mom!", Mason whined, pouting a little, but Rose remained unswayed.

"No"

"Yes", Mason stomped his foot for effect.

"Mason Ivan Belikov! Sit your behind down at the table right now!"

Mason glared at his mother (calculatingly) a minute before calmly turning to his father. "Daddy, will you tell mom she's being utterly unreasonable?"

"Dimitri, will you tell your son he's being ridiculous?", Rose said, still looking at her son.

When Dimitri looked up from the file he was perusing, both Rose and Masey were looking at him expectantly, arms folded across their chest in identical stances. "What is it this time?"

"I made him a sandwich and-", Rose began, only to be interrupted by Masey.

"It has cucumbers. I'm not having it."

"Yes, you are."

"No, I'm not. Besides, yours doesn't have cucumber either.", Mason pointed out.

"I don't like cucumber.", Rose reasoned.

"I don't like them either."

"You're not old enough to know what you like.", Rose pronounced in her mother-knows-best-voice.

"Well, if you're not having them, neither am I.", Masey planted his hands on his hips. Before Rose could reply, Dimitri (thankfully) spoke.

"How about you both have some tomatoes, then?", Dimitri interrupted the conversation which could very well go on till noon (and then they'd bicker about lunch).

They both shot him horrified looks and Rose quickly piled some cucumber slices in her sandwich and handed Masey his sandwich. She gobbled it in seconds then ran out of the kitchen with Mason right on her heels, both giving the plate of sliced tomatoes on the table a wide berth.

Dimitri smirked after they left (undoubtedly to watch Spongebob Squarepants in the den) and closed his file, taking his coffee cup to the sink. He couldn't help but think smugly that the tomato threat worked every time. Like mother, like son indeed….

**Thank you for reading. Don't forget to review!**

**Tomatoes, anyone? :p**


	77. Chapter 77

**Drabble:77  
POV:Third Person**

Dimitri loved that his family loved Rose and that they got along really well. The entire Belikova contingency (and Paul) adored his Roza and she loved them too, just as if they were her own family (Comrade, they are my family, Rose had told him when commented on their closeness). And Rose got along fabulously with his sisters. The older two had fed her stories about his childhood that she could tease him about for the rest of his natural life if she wanted to, and Rose had regaled them with romantic stories about how he loved her and cared for her, which had caused both Karo and Sonya to go 'aww' and pinch his cheeks, much to his embarrassment (though Rose had made up for it, Dimitri had seen to that).

But the friendship between Rose and Vika was different. Those two had really bonded and were always off gossiping and giggling together. Even after Rose and Dimitri returned to Court, she and Vika stayed in touch via regular text messaging and Skype-ing almost every other day. Dimitri was glad for that. He loved that Vika was taking her guardian training more seriously, inspired by Rose and her achievements; and that Rose was taking her role as a role model seriously, and trying to set a good example for Vika (and countless other younger female dhampirs).

So, he loved the bonding between his younger sister and his girlfriend, but he hated certain aspects of it. Take this, for instant. Before, when Dimitri used to come home after duties, he and Rose would have dinner together and unwind (or cuddle, like Christian said) in their living room, watching mindless movies while making out….or retiring to their bedroom halfway through them.

But then, Vika had gone home during vacations and gotten addicted to some British series, and then called Rose and regaled her with tales of its awesomeness till Rose started watching it. That far was good, Rose and Dimitri did watch series together, making out every now and then. But this was different. 10 minutes into the first episode, when Dimitri leaned in to nuzzle Rose's neck, she moved away. She actually moved away! Forget making out, halfway into the episode, she forgot about his existence….kind of. So, here he was now, rejected by his girlfriend because of a damned series. Grumbling, he had gone to sleep, only to be woken up an hour later when Rose had called Vika to squeal and gush over the sheer perfection of the series and some weird-named British actor and his lovely accent, his beautiful cheekbones and his coat (of all things his coat!) and his overall, quintessential awesomeness….for 2 hours….in the middle of the night! The next day, the very same thing happened. And again. And again…..till, Dimitri got frustrated and decided to give the series a shot (also, certain incentives may have offered by Rose as a bribe along with a challenge that said series would test his powers of observation).

So, he took a seat beside Rose, who was almost bouncing with excitement, sure that he'd love it as much as she did. He had only smiled tightly at her before she inserted the DVD and started it. One-and-a-half-hours later, he got Rose to start from the first episode again. As much as he was embarrassed to become so interested in a series (and participate in a surreal frame-by-frame discussion with Rose and Vika), Dimitri knew without a doubt that he was SHER-LOCKED.

**Any Sherlock fans amongst you beautiful people here? And yes, I love Benedict Cumberbatch and totally fangirl over his sheer perfection *swoons*  
Anyways, thanks for reading and don't forget to review! Cheers!**


	78. Chapter 78

**Drabble:78  
POV:Third Person**

"Where's my present?", Rose asked as soon as Lissa walked into Dimitri's apartment, eight days after Rose had woken up from being shot in the chest.

"Present?", Lissa frowning at her best-friend, who instead of lying on the bed was sitting at the coffee-table, against medical-advice no less.

"You know for the whole dying-and-reborn-crap thing?", Rose gestured vaguely with her hands and Dimitri who'd been perusing the newspaper, looked up and rolled his eyes.

Lissa didn't fumble this time. "Here you go, he's all yours!", she quipped, dragging her beau into the room.

"Wait, don't I get a say in this?", Christian scowled balefully.

"You? What about me?", Rose asked, outraged. "Don't I get a say, seeing as I got un-shadow-kissed and stuff?"

"Geez! You're modest, aren't you?", Christian asked sarcastically.

"Shove it, Fireboy! I'm trying to extricate both myself and you from this situation!"

"Extricate! Whoa, Hathaway! Someone put on their big-girl pant this morning. Very smart!", he teased her, flopping into a sofa and smiling at her lazily. "I'm surprised you even know the word."

"Ha-ha!", Rose rolled her eyes, pausing only to peck Dimitri's lips when he leaned towards her, retrieving his duster from the back of her chair. "You're a regular ray of sunshine, aren't you, attic-stalker?"

"As if you're any better, hey-I'm-bored-so-let's-screw-up-the-plan-that-my-f riends-made-and-take off-for-an-adventure! I swear to God, Rose, you nearly gave us all a heart-attack. Your old man almost started spouting grey hair."

"He's missed worrying about my…umm-"

"Shenanigans?", Lissa offered helpfully, still standing in the doorway.

"Yeah, those.", Rose smiled at her brightly before turning back to Christian. "He's gonna have to make up for 18 years of Hathaway-lessness."

"Lord have mercy on him!", Christian quipped.

"Hallelujah!", Rose pronounced, smiling deviously.

They stared at each other a minute, scowling; clearly disgruntled at having agreed on something.

"You're a fathead.", Rose declared.

"Fat-ass.", shot Christian.

"Excuse me, I'll have you know it's called being voluptuous, which FYI, is very in. But your condition, on the other hand, makes you retarded. If I was the religious-type, I'd light candles for Liss every Mass at church for having the saint-like patience for tolerating you."

"Oh, she's had lots of practice, putting up with you for the last decade or so. At least, in my case, she reaps certain benefits.", returned Christian, smiling lasciviously.

"Ew, gross Chris!", Rose moaned. "I just had Coco-pops!"

"Ooh, Coco-pops! Could I have some?", Christian asked hopefully.

"Yeah, sure. Milk carton's on the table, bowl's in the shelf over sink and the cereal box's right there.", Rose gestured towards the kitchen space.

"Cool.", Christian replied as he went cereal-hunting. "They're probably airing Spongebob now. Wanna watch?"

"Totally!", Rose smiled brightly, flipping through the TV channels.

Lissa and Dimitri watched them from the doorway, smiling at their banter.

"I told you this was a good idea.", Dimitri muttered, smiling dopily at the love-of-his-life.

"As much as I would love to agree, Dimitri, I still think that by the time we return, either your den's gonna be on fire or either one of them is gonna end up in the ER, after being beaten by the other.", Lissa sighed dramatically.

"My money's on Roza.", Dimitri answered immediately.

"Unfortunately, mine's too. Are you sure we can't use a baby monitor? Just in case?", she asked hopefully, turning towards the tall guardian.

"It won't cover the range. I tried.", Dimitri answered flatly before consulting his watch. "We should get going, your meeting's in 10."

"Sure thing.", Lissa shrugged, adjusting her clothes before sparing her two most favorite people a last, lingering glance. "May the odds be in their favor!"

**So, firstly, I'm sorry for disappearing so long. I had a bit of an accident, and then I've been having some other complications these past few days, but I won't bore you with the details.**

**Point is, thank you for reading and do review. Cheers!**

**PS-Who knows what Lissa's parting comment refers to?**


	79. Chapter 79

**Drabble:79  
POV:Third Person**

Sydney loved Adrian's paintings. She really admired his ability of turning some myriad emotion into abstract art. Or the way he could make something as frivolous as a fortune cookie into art. It was as if he were a magician and his canvas his cauldron, using which he breathed life into the most simple things…raising the ordinary to extraordinary.

And he was just so very unabashedly honest in his drawings-all his love, rage, sorrow-his emotions, and even some disjointed memories, showed up in his paintings-black was for spirit and red for Rose, jade for Jill, and quaint ceramic cups and Chinese cats that regularly graced his canvas undoubtedly some memory associated with a ghost from his past. And her, always her. Hazel eyes, golden strokes, lilies…they graced so many of his paintings.

When he'd begun painting her, in that abstract way of his, she hadn't realized his feelings or motivations behind them, not even when they recurred with alarming frequency. Probably he didn't either….but it didn't matter, because she was there. A testimonial of his love, of his vision of her….and it should have made her feel uncomfortable. It didn't. Not yet, anyway….until the day he decided to chuck abstract out of the metaphorical window, and draw her.

He had just embraced sobriety as a life-choice, and it was hitting him hard. So, she couldn't object to him indulging in another addiction-art. But that feeling was squashed pretty quickly when she realized instead of his sweeping brushstrokes and charcoal (his weapon of choice), he was brandishing pencils and glancing at her more intensely than usual (making her heartbeat samba in the process). As soon as she realized what he was doing, she immediately asked him to stop, threatening to leave if he didn't. Because she feels scared to face the idyllic creature he's undoubtedly painting her to be, knowing she'd never measure up to it. She'd be disappointed, and so would he.

Needless to say he stopped, but only after convincing her to tell him about some place she wanted to visit, so he could sketch it. So, she closes the textbook she was perusing and paints him the picture of Erechtheion with pragmatic words; describing in scrupulous details the ruins of the temple dedicated to the two Olympians who'd fascinated her since childhood. She even closes her eyes while she does, managing to relax in a way she normally never does. When she's told him all she could, she remains silent, quietly listening to the etches his pencil makes as his hand flies over his drawing. There's only the rustling of the paper against the easel and the sound of Adrian's pencil. And then, it's quiet.

Too quiet, actually. She reluctantly prepares to open her eyes, to give up this feeling of contentment. She almost does. Until, the sofa she's lounging on dips, accommodating his weight as he sits. And then he kisses her. Softly, slowly…tenderly. And just when her blood begins to sing in her veins, he pulls away and weaving his finger through hers, leads her to his latest masterpiece. Looking at it, Sydney has to gasp. It seems so life-like…..he hasn't drawn much, just one solitary caryatid. And it's so beautiful, so awe-inspiringly beautiful, she's stunned speechless. Until Adrian opens his mouth.

"Pretty good, isn't it Sage? Almost puts Michelangelo to shame, doesn't it?"

She's about to retort in kind, until she notices something about the painting, something that makes her jaw drop….again. The caryatid is wearing a cross! This was blasphemy! Almost sacrilegious! And not only that, the stone-figure sported ballet-flats….kind of like the ones she was wearing now. And looking at the stone-face more observantly, Sydney saw….herself! Complete with layered bangs!

"Adrian!", she groans. "You said you wouldn't paint me anymore!"

"I wasn't gonna, but I can't help it if you decide to let loose and dress up as a stone-lady from Erechtheion! Plus, I bet you'd help increase the ticket sales, dressed like this", he says mischievously, subtlely moving away. "Especially if you're so adamant on not anything underneath".

"Adrian!", she screeches, a moment before chasing him through the apartment. Really, he was incorrigible! But, she wouldn't have him any other way.

**Thanks for reading. Please Review!**

**A/N: Erechtheion is an ancient Greek temple in Acropolis, dedicated to Athena and Poseidon. And caryatid is a sculpted female figure that serves as a support-column or pillar.**


	80. Chapter 80

**Drabble:80  
POV:Third Person**

As Rose entered the gym, she saw Dimitri sitting on the mats, engrossed in one of his Westerns. Perfect, she thought, approaching him with a wicked grin. She'd been trying to one-up him for days, no-months now, and had yet to surprise him. But no matter, her perfect opportunity was here now, because for once she was early to practice and he had yet to see her sneaking up.

Still, Rose didn't want to leave anything to chance, so she moved stealthily, at a steady pace, her footsteps masked by the radio, which was playing some old 80s hit song (that Rose may or may not have heard and even enjoyed a bit, not that anyone needs to know) about how both pleasure and pain remain, and how meaningless and forgettable words were.

Anyways, so she sneaked up on him, step by step, even breathing lightly in rhythm with her footfalls till she was about a metre and a half away from him. And then, she stopped. And listened for any and all sounds coming from his direction. Unsurprisingly, there was none. Rose had only begun the practice of exuding control over her bodily noises, but her mentor was a master at that. Honestly, he could have been a hellion if he put his sneaking abilities to use, but Dimitri wouldn't.

Shaking off her reverie, she shifted all her weight onto the balls of her feet, a smile rivaling that of the Cheshire cat gracing her visage, and prepared to lunge at her mentor. Just as she'd begun to straighten up to jump at the broad expanse of his back (which honestly, his duster did nothing to hide), Dimitri spoke up.

"15 laps, Rose", he said simply as if they were continuing an ongoing conversation.

Rose straightened up and her jaw dropped. "I-you-but-how?", she stuttered inarticulately, knowing he'd know what she was asking.

Dimitri closed his book then, and turned towards her, an eyebrow raised in challenge. "15 laps, now", he stated again, gesturing with his hands towards the tracks outside.

Rose recovered by then and shaking her head, cleared out of the gym, scowling and muttering about how unfair everything was (and something about baby monkeys or so Dimitri thought he heard).

Dimitri waited till Rose started running before dropping the indifferent mask from his face and giving in to a self-congratulatory smirk. Honestly though she was getting better at moving noiselessly, he observed clinically. It wasn't any of her movements that alerted him to her presence, but the faint smell of her strawberry-lip-balm that he'd grown attuned to in the last few months (and found irresistible). It took him a half-second to guess that stealthiness plus Rose equates surprise attack on him, so he closed his eyes and tried to visualize her position. When she made her first mistake by taking in a sharp breath, he spoke up, foiling her plans.

Dimitri chuckled to himself over how utterly predictable his Roza was and his eyes followed her circuit around the tracks, watching as she still muttered under her breath, scowling as she ran.

Well, Dimitri thought as he stood up and stretched, the least he could do for her attempt was to run with her. And so he did just that.

**Well, how was that? Review?**

**And any guesses as to what song has been hinted at here?**

**PS-Thank you Fiera Hathaway for review no.300!**


	81. Chapter 81

**Drabble:81  
POV:Third Person**

Rose was with Lissa and Christian in the cafeteria for lunch, when Adrian appeared there. He wasn't allowed inside the place during school hours, so it was obvious that he'd either sweet-talked or compelled his way into the place.

He strolled in with a swagger, smiling broadly and took the empty seat beside Rose and started up a conversation with the trio. Only when a guardian who'd been on duty started to approach him (and Adrian wasn't really surprised it was Belikov), he got to his feet and made his hasty exit, but not before placing a swift but sound kiss on Rose's cheek.

Rose stared at him in outrage, while Lissa and Christian laughed at her expression. She would have given Adrian chase, demanding to know what the hell he was thinking, but she caught sight of Dimitri, who was frozen halfway between their table and the cafeteria door, wearing an expression that couldn't be misconstrued as anything but for what it was- a possessive I-will-kill-you-with-my-bare-hands-and-enjoy-it-im mensely glare which was focused on the spirit-user moroi who was sauntering out of the cafeteria, cackling merrily.

When Dimitri looked back at their table, he found Rose looking down, picking at her food, with a becoming blush gracing her cheeks. Christian was waggling his eyebrows, undoubtedly teasing her and Lissa was clapping with glee. After looking at Rose for another moment, he returned to his post against the north wall of the room. By the time, Rose scolded her heart back into its regular rhythm from the cha-cha it had begun dancing at Dimitri's possessive look, Dimitri had already composed his face into a mask.

That afternoon, when Rose walked into the room where Lissa and Adrian were practicing spirit and Christian was napping across the teacher's desk, her face was flushed and she had a dazed look on her face. After saying her hellos, Rose sat down and stared out the window, lost in her mind. When Lissa asked her if everything was alright, she snapped back to reality and shrugged nonchalantly, but her movement exposed a bruise on her collarbone that her T-shirt had been hiding before. Lissa was alarmed and started panicking, demanding to know how she had been hurt. Rose appeased her by saying that it was a training injury and that Dimitri had been playing strigoi. When Lissa offered to heal it, Rose brushed it off saying that she was okay and it would heal pretty soon. Relieved that Rose was fine, Lissa happily returned to her quest of making a plant regenerate, completely missing the renewal of Rose's blush, which both Adrian and Christian (who'd woken up when Lissa slipped into panic-mode) caught. They both inferred how Rose had been 'injured', sure that it hadn't been a 'training accident', but a deliberate move by Belikov, marking what was his. They smirked, which transformed into a shocked look once they caught each other's eyes. Neither had known that the other knew.

The duo held each other's gaze for a long moment, then nodded once, returning to their previous activities, because now was neither the time nor the place to discuss their shared knowledge. But both knew as soon as this session was over, they'd be sequestering themselves in a quiet corner to talk. Both Lissa and Rose remained oblivious to their little exchange, lost in their own little worlds.

**Okay, so you guys have a choice here, which drabble would you prefer next- an account of Rose's 'training accident' or the boys' discussion? **

**And thank you for reading. Your thoughts are always appreciated! Cheers!**

**PS-the song hinted at in the last drabble is the iconic and wonderful 'Enjoy The Silence' by Depeche Mode.**


	82. Chapter 82

**Drabble:82  
POV:Third Person**

Before Abe met Rose's boyfriend Adrian Ivashkov, he had a lot of reservations about the young moroi and his reputation. He'd been sure that Adrian was just taking advantage of Rose, so he was pleasantly surprised upon meeting the moroi in person (and threatening him to an inch of his life) because the boy clear as day adored Rose and seemed head over heels in love with her. Also, Abe knew his intimidation would go a long way in ensuring that the boy stayed in line. But, Abe wasn't very happy with Adrian. Because he was continuously under the influence of either smoke or alcohol (and smelling like it) and had a penchant for being a natural flirt. Also, even though he cared about Rose, he couldn't see the sadness in Rose's eyes or the fake smile she plastered on whenever he did something romantic. Adrian couldn't, but Abe could. Only, he did nothing, except hope that over time, she wouldn't need to pretend anymore, that she'd recover from losing her first love-Dimitri Belikov.

Abe had met Dimitri Belikov before, as he had been well acquainted with both of Ivan Zeklos' parents and Ivan, by association. And he'd liked Ivan's diligent guardian/friend. But he'd known the guardian then, not his daughter's boyfriend.

Obviously, when Rose and Dimitri got together, Abe was worried. He knew that Dimitri wasn't the type of man to take advantage of Rose, so that was a good thing. But his age, disposition and job all worried Abe. Not only that, but his recently acquired reputation for being dangerous and unstable (stemmed from rumors about his Strigoi days) also worried Abe-what if there even was an iota of truth in the rumors?

Belikov wasn't the type of man to flaunt his emotions, so Abe didn't know if what he felt for Rose was the real deal or if it was just a casual fling. Also, it didn't help that the cool-tempered guardian didn't seem to be intimidated by Abe and his threats (and that Janine actually liked the guy). Also, he was an active guardian, following his charge(s) out of the wards or going on regular Strigoi raids, so there was always the chance that he wouldn't come back….and Abe didn't think Rose could deal with that. He'd seen how she'd been at Dimitri's memorial in Russia (and Belikov hadn't even been dead then), so he worried. Like any good father, he worried. And watched…

Belikov was a man of few words but his actions screamed his intentions to whoever was smart enough to look for them. Every morning, without fail, Dimitri would make a cup of coffee that Rose and he would share over the newspaper with doughnuts that he bought for her from the patisserie by dozens. He'd be scrupulously fair and brutally honest with Rose about her actions or decisions, but in the privacy of their home, he'd be the adoring partner (or so Christian said when Abe 'asked' him). He cared for her when she was sick and did little things to make her happy. He also refused to accept Abe's offer of financial help (which made him rise in Abe's esteem) as he'd been used to earning his keep from a young age, but he tried his best to ensure that Rose never wanted for anything.

And as for Rose, she seemed more at peace and content than Abe had ever seen her, almost glowing with happiness and love. Gone were her fake smile and jaded melancholy, replaced by love and joy. And Abe couldn't be happier or more thankful for it. He was glad, he really was. But he was still a father, and so he worried.

**Hey, thanks for reading. Don't forget to review!**

**About the last drabble, the votes for the Romitri piece are stacked higher, so you shall get that…..probably in couple of days. I actually would have uploaded it today, but I couldn't finish it because I have a killer headache. Anyways, thanks for your wonderful reception (to/for?) it. Cheers!**

**PS-Eid Mubarak to all of you who celebrate it!**


	83. Chapter 83

**Drabble:83  
POV:Third Person**

After the lunch-debacle, Dimitri stood guard for just one of Rose's class, the entire duration of which was spent by him staring single-mindedly at her back and her trying unsuccessfully to pay undivided-attention to the lecturer. She'd met his eyes exactly once, but that had been enough. Others might have dismissed his expression as his guardian mask, but Rose-_unfortunately_-knew better. His expression was scary with intensity, seething with barely restrained anger, undoubtedly caused by Adrian's stunt.

Rose couldn't help but damn said moroi to the ninth circle of Hell as she-_warily_-made her way over to the gym for her afternoon session, unwilling for once to be the focus of Dimitri's singular attention _cough*wrath*cough_. But she couldn't help but remember the possessive look that had crossed his features for a millisecond in the cafeteria and her stomach flipped pleasantly even though her heartbeat sped up in anticipation of her one-on-one-time with him.

Entering the gym, she found it empty, so she made her way towards one of the supply closets which she knew was one of Dimitri's favorite haunts. Peeking into the room, she was greeted with the sight of his folded duster and one of his battered Westerns, but there was no sign of the man himself. Sighing, she ventured into the room and not a second later, the door was slammed closed. And there he stood-all tall and gorgeous-arms folded across his chest, looking the very picture of relaxed except for the very pissed-off look on his face.

"You're late", he pronounced, absolutely no inflection in his voice and she gulped loudly, mentally letting loose a string-of-curses that would do a sailor proud. She knew better than to lie or make excuses, but somehow she didn't think you-see-you're-all-pissed-off-and-I-was-just-tryin g-to-steer-clear-of-it would fly well with him.

"What's your excuse this time, Roza?", he asked quietly, stalking towards her. "Were you with the Ivashkov boy? Were you _having fun_ with him?"

Mustering all her courage, she tilted her head to meet his eyes. "He's not the one I want, Dimitri. He's not the one I l-", she trailed off, not trusting her voice and looked away.

"You what, Roza? Won't you tell me?", he asked softly. Meeting his eyes, she found nothing but tenderness and longing there, mixed with wistfulness. She stepped forward, feeling irrepressibly bold, and wrapped her arms around his body. He sighed, but embraced her too. "I won't lie, Roza. The thought of another man touching you makes me sick. And this afternoon, you were…"

"For you, Dimitri. I saw the look in your eyes", she mumbled against his chest. "I loved it."

He chuckled, pulling away but looked at her with amusement. Then, without warning, he leaned down to brush his lips against her ears and whispered, "Run."

"What?", she asked him, dazed. He smirked knowingly, but slipped into hunter-mode.

"Run, Roza!".

And run she did, like a bat out of hell, yanking the door open and sprinting out. He caught up to her at the mats, and an impromptu spar ensued, which ended by him tackling her to the ground. Straddling her, he leaned down to kiss her deeply. Their lips came together again and again and their breathing grew erratic. When Rose started gasping, Dimitri moved down, trailing kisses down her neck, stopping at the base before looking up and meeting her eyes, his intentions clear as day. She nodded mutely, watching as he tugged down the collar of her T-shirt and pressed a kiss against her collar bone before not-so-gently biting down on it. Unable to help herself, Rose let out a high-pitched scream and fisted his hair as he soothed the bruise with the softest kisses. He then climbed up her body and kissed her again, stopping only to sit up once she'd had her fill. He kissed her forehead then as she traced his jawline, both trying to catch their breath. "You're also the one I…..", he trailed off, but she understood. She always did.

He brushed hair off her cheek and bestowed one last searing kiss upon her (caressing her first-ever-hickey as he did) before standing up and walking away, wearing a smug self-satisfied smirk on his face.

**Here's the promised Romitri scene from drabble 81. So, what do you think? Good? Bad? Let me know! Cheers!**


	84. Chapter 84

**Drabble:84  
POV:Third Person**

It was almost a month after Rose and Lissa had been brought back to the academy, and Rose's training sessions with Dimitri were going extremely well. Dimitri was quite impressed with the talented dhampir, with how easily she had taken to the regular training and conditioning, already beginning to catch up to her peers. But most of all, Dimitri was impressed with her ability to absorb details, to learn new moves and execute them flawlessly within a few tries, and looking both deadly graceful and beautifully powerful while doing so. And all this she accredited to her one-on-one sessions with him (and most of her other trainers and classmates, whom she pissed off on a regular basis with her sassiness and antics, also agreed), but Dimitri insisted it was all her.

Still, seeing all her accomplishments in the short while, Dimitri couldn't help but feel a little bit proud of himself, for helping her break through, and get started on the way of becoming one of the most lethal dancers of death that Dimitri was sure she'd be in no time. He also wondered why he'd never agreed to train anyone before. I mean, obviously, during his own final year at his academy he'd helped train some younger novices, even helped Galina guide a few classes, but nothing more. After graduation, Galina had asked him to stay back and train at the academy but Dimitri had declined, deciding instead to follow his best friend Ivan around the world. After Ivan, when he'd come to St, Vladimir's, he'd been offered the position of a trainer, but again, he'd refused.

He really didn't know why he'd agreed to become Rose's mentor, except that he'd felt this compulsive urge in every fiber of his being when he'd been asked (and she'd fascinated him from the go with her 'I'm-her-guardian' comment). So he said yes, and he'd never been gladder. Because not only had he been allotted a remarkable pupil, he'd also gotten a friend in the bargain. A sarcastic, funny friend whose name spelt trouble.

Friend old boy, friend, Dimitri told himself, nodding along as said 'friend' complained about the spaghetti she'd had for lunch. He'd closed himself off from people after Ivan passed away, not wanting to get emotionally attached to somebody only to lose them and suffer from heartache and pain. But Rose had slithered her way into his heart and he'd come to lov-no, admire her immensely. Admire and appreciate. Respect even. He'd shared details of his past with her and she'd told him her hopes and aspirations. But that's what friends did, right? And he should become friends with her, seeing how after graduation she'd become his co-guardian for Lissa. Friends. That's all. That's all it would ever be, he decided firmly, quashing anything and everything in his mind that even dared to suggest anything otherwise.

And so to clear his head and ensure that Rose was actually running around the track instead of looking at a butterfly or something (like yesterday) he told Rose he'd be running with her today (a first, it should be pointed out, but friends ran together, didn't they?). Ignoring her look of surprise and happiness- wait, _happiness?-_ he stretched and made it out to the tracks, closely followed by his protégé, thinking that he was gonna be okay. He was a master of control, he could do this. Rose Hathaway had somehow become his friend, against all odds, and she could count on him.

**I'm sorry for the late update, but my internet is acting funky. But thanks for reading and don't forget to review! Cheers!**


	85. Chapter 85

**Drabble:85  
POV:Third Person**

Olena was chopping vegetables in the kitchen when her six-and-a-half-year-old son showed up. She wasn't surprised to see her son seeking her out at ten in the morning, but she was surprised to see his eyes red-rimmed.

Immediately discarding her knife, she walked over and leaned down to cup his face in her hands. Tenderness rushed through her veins at seeing the tear-streaks on his chubby cheeks and she couldn't resist pressing a kiss against his forehead. He hugged her in turn, resting his head on her shoulders, and winding his arms around her neck.

"What is it, Dimka?", she asked concernedly. "Why are you upset, sweet pea?"

Dimitri shook his head-denying-but his sniffles betrayed him. So, she decided to let him be…for the time being, knowing that after he calmed down, he'd let her know what happened. If he wanted her to know, that is. Her little boy didn't go around flaunting his grievances. His sisters, especially Sonya, could learn a thing or two from him.

Sighing, Olena disengaged herself and fetched him a glass of water, which he gulped down before brushing his sleeve across his eyes. He asked her if she'd mind him sitting with her awhile, but she knew that he was trying to compose himself. So, she led him to the table and sat him down on one of the breakfast stools, before picking up her knife again.

Not five minutes later, Dimitri offered to take over her task. He was nothing if not a chivalrous boy. She declined his offer, but told him he could turn on the radio if he liked. He did so, fiddling with the dial with his eyebrows creasing in concentration. As he flipped through the channels, Olena finished chopping up the veggies and sighing, took a seat at the table, to slather some butter onto the leftover slabs of black bread, to share with her son. She wasn't exactly tired of working or wondering what was going on in her boy's head, but pregnancy was exhausting and she needed to sit more often.

Trying to distract herself, she asked him about his sisters and he replied that they were down the street playing with some friends. His tone was light and she thanked the heavens silently that his melancholia wasn't the result of some sibling altercation. But when she asked about his friends, his tone became clipped. She sighed, wishing that he didn't play his feelings so close to his chest, that he would just complain and moan like his sisters sometimes. If only…

She was brought out of her reverie when Dimitri slid over a cup in front of her, brown powder spooned neatly into it. Looking at him, she found another cup in front of him and a toothy grin gracing his handsome face. "Hot chocolate?", she smiled, already putting the kettle on the stove. He nodded enthusiastically and picked up a piece of bread.

Olena smiled at how the littlest of things made her baby boy happy and extending a hand, ruffled his hair before kissing the top of his head. As mother and son settled down with their hot chocolate (doubling makes it taste better, Dimitri informed her conspiratorially), Karolina and Sonya came home, seeking cookies and one of their Barbie dolls. But instead of going out again, the sisters joined them at the table, partaking of the feast and helping their mother prepare lunch. In the bustle, Olena forgot Dimitri had come home crying earlier. Or that he hadn't told her why.

Later, Karolina had informed her mom that some of Dimitri's friends had thrown stones at a little puppy, ignoring his protests. And laughed and taunted him, calling him weak and babyish. But he'd held his head high (and helped said puppy limp away) and come home. She hadn't known that Dimitri hadn't come home directly but had shed a few tears in the backyard first. Neither had Olena known. But both knew Dimitri hadn't mentioned it because he didn't want to appear weak. He couldn't have been farther from the truth. They both loved him for standing up for the defenseless. Though Olena couldn't help a pang of regret and a couple of insomniac nights-knowing that in about a decade, her little boy would set out into the world to hunt undead monsters. The boy who couldn't bear to hurt a puppy would have to kill for a living. Olena didn't think she'd ever felt so unhappy.

**Thanks for reading! Please Review!**


	86. Chapter 86

**Drabble:86  
POV:Third Person**

They'd all believed he saw nothing, that he knew nothing-the doctors, psychiatrists and even his aunt-and for a long time, he believed it too. That he remembered nothing from that accursed night a decade ago.

But he had seen things, and his subconscious had stored them. And after Spokane, revealed them. Via nightmares. Not nightmares really, but a kaleidoscope of half-buried memories that his mind had been protecting in its innermost sanctum, just biding the time…

At first, they were small glimpses and snatches of flashbacks-nothing more than sharp, maniacal laughter, breaking of glass and the ever-present red eyes mixed with the voices of his parents, which made him think that maybe he was seeing the Spokane strigoi, distorted by his dreamscape.

But then, the flashbacks sharpened, faces came into being-Lucas and Moira, both with jet black hair, all tall and elegant and deadly fast. Their eyes, no longer icy-blue, but red-tinged, their fangs more elongated and their voices…oh god, their voices!

Christian still didn't know that these were glimpses into his memory, so he talked about them with no one, just tried to stay up as much as possible, not wanting his memories of his parents to be tarnished. But Fate clearly had other plans, because nearing Mason's funeral, he realized that his dreams were real, no more imaginary than the girl with the jade eyes, who helped keep his panic-attacks from the nightmares at bay. And then, he remembered what had happened that fateful night, in sickening nightly installments, of course.

By bits and pieces, he remembered it. The deathly cold beauty of his parents, Tasha sending him up to his room, telling him to bolt his door and not come down until she came for him. Then, raised voices that had made him crawl across the carpet in his room and peek out into the hallway below only to see Lucas backhand Tasha while Moira tried to come up the staircase. That's when Tasha started using the one advantage his parents did not possess-her element. Lucas and Moira had screamed, so inhumanly that Christian had to clap his hands over his ears and close his eyes. When he looked again, only minutes later, there was blood dripping from Tasha's face and both his parents had severe burns. Shattered glass littered everywhere. Just when Tasha was about to collapse, the front door burst open and an entire entourage of guardians spilled forward. Hard-faced, grey-uniformed, stake-wielding guardians, whose purpose could not-would not-be mistaken. Within a few seconds Lucas and Moira had succumbed to their final death, screaming as they went, and the guardians were hovering over Tasha, who had fainted. Christian, wide-eyed and shaking, had retreated to his bed and squeezed his eyes shut. Exhausted and shocked-traumatized-he had drifted off, only to be wake up in a hospital bed, snuggling against his aunt.

Don't come down, she'd said. Tasha had decided to sacrifice herself for him….

After the scenes in his head made sense, Christian was equally horrified and awed. Overwhelmed by the selflessness and bravery of his aunt, distraught when he realized that his parents had tried to kill her, and him too, eventually. That's when he knew he was done being a victim-ashamed of his parent's turning, traumatized by Spokane. He'd had enough. Now, he was gonna fight for the helpless and weak, just like his aunt had done for him. He would welcome the nightmares, to keep his memories of the monsters sharp, to keep his resolve of annihilating the monsters glowing. He was a fire-user and now, he'd learn how to really use his magic. After all, he was still alive because of it. Not only because what Tasha had done, but in Spokane, if not for his magic (and Rose's wits), he'd be dead now. No more. Never again!

**Thanks for reading! Please Review!**

**PS-Have any of you read Daughter Of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor? If not, you could give it a read. It's amazing!**


	87. Chapter 87

**Drabble:87  
POV:Third Person**

Adrian often dreamed of Rose after their 'break-up' because it was hard to get over someone who'd blazed through your mind, capturing you heart and soul, even if said person shattered your heart into tiny pieces and stomped on them. So Adrian often dreamed of the dark-haired temptress and no amount of self-medication or insomniac nights could stop his dreams from recurring.

This night, when he saw Rose tiptoeing down the staircase of Clarence's house, he knew he was dreaming….or so he believed. Surprisingly though, they weren't at either any familiar haunts or exotic locations, as was usual. Instead, he was lying on Clarence's couch where he'd fallen asleep in the den, clutching a bottle of vodka he vaguely remembered cracking open, and hell, he was also wearing the exact same clothes he'd been wearing the evening before. And unlike most dreams, where he couldn't feel any pain, save for the ripping of his heart, this time he could feel his neck and back aching from sleeping on the couch.

All this he inventoried while watching Rose. She was wearing a blue T-shirt that Adrian remembered Dimitri wearing the previous evening (great, now his mind was making him suffer, even when unconscious…nice!) and her dark tresses were cascading down her back, caressing her lithe figure. God, she looked incredible!

He expected her to come to him and either taunt about leaving him or look at him with the wounded, pitying look in her eyes (as dream-Rose often did), but this dream-Rose did neither. Upon reaching the kitchen, she looked around a moment before approaching the fridge. She opened it and peered in-the soft light from within illuminating her gorgeous figure and accentuating her curves-before retrieving a carton of milk and some leftovers. After placing them on the table, she reached towards a kitchen cabinet to take out glasses. What was this, Adrian wondered, was she preparing him a dream-pity-meal? Just as he'd finished that thought, another figure stepped into his view.

Shifting his gaze, Adrian saw him. Of-course! Dimitri Belikov. Wearing nothing but his pajama bottoms, his hair looking mussed-up. He approached Rose stealthily, as if stalking a prey, and just as she turned with a glass in hand, he reached around her and pinned her to the wall with his body. Rose gasped and looked up at him, her eyes burning with an expression Adrian felt very uncomfortable naming. And Dimitri claimed her mouth immediately, clutching her around her waist to pull her up his body. In turn, Rose wrapped her limbs around him.

Adrian felt like a voyeur, but a masochist part of him couldn't stop watching, wanting to feel the worst possible pain it could. Christ! Wasn't seeing her enough! Now her knight-in-pajama-bottoms had to invade his dreams and torture him too? Maybe this was his reward for dream-walking cough*stalking*cough Rose before. Feeling sick and exasperated with himself, Adrian kept watching as the duo finished their make-out session, stopping only to grab the offerings on the table before racing up the staircase, almost glued to each other, their auras shining brighter than the sun. Frowning to himself (and developing a headache), Adrian dropped back on to the couch and delved off to an uneasy sleep.

The next day, Adrian woke up early. The house was quiet as he made his way to the kitchen, still reeling from his stupid dream. Once there, he peered outside to find Sonya working in her garden with Dimitri texting on his phone, wearing a dopey smile.

Weird, Adrian thought, as he turned away, to make some coffee. And that's when he saw it. A water-glass with lip-gloss-stain on its rim buried in a pile of breakfast dishes and cups and utensils…

Adrian knew that Sonya didn't wear lip-gloss and obviously neither Clarence nor Dimitri had shown a particular attachment to one and the school kids were away…which left just one explanation for the stain…..

Adrian had left Court to escape Rose and her love-story, but both seemed to haunt him, even in sunny Palm Springs. And that's when Adrian knew he had to move out, get away from here, where her scent and memories had found home, before he actually went insane.

**Thanks for reading. Don't forget to review!**


	88. Chapter 88

**Drabble:88  
POV:Third Person**

"Don't _you_ think it's unfair?", Rose asked Dimitri, sparing him a cursory glance as she paced, probably burning a hole through the bedroom floor. Dimitri looked up from the book he'd been perusing and smiled amusedly at his girlfriend. It was evident that Rose was distressed, if her pacing and muttering-in-an-undertone were any indication, but Dimitri found the entire situation entertaining. Still, unwilling to be subjected to her famous Hathaway glare, he did his best to school his features into an expression of commiserating empathy.

Either encouraged by his expression or maybe just unable to hold it in anymore, Rose voiced her tale of woe. "I mean, the first time we met, she practically called me a liar. If that wasn't enough, after knowing me, she made me do chores for her, that while I was majorly hung-over. I'm telling you, she has issues!"

"Calm down, Roza. She was just testing you, you know that", Dimitri soothed her, getting up from his perch and enveloping her in a hug. "And she loves you, but she just likes to have her fun. She's aged, you can at least allow her that, right?"

"Screw aged, she did this on purpose!", Rose struggled out of his embrace to glare murderously at the door. "Besides whose side are you on, anyways?"

"Roza, be reasonable", Dimitri coaxed. "I'm not siding with anyone. She practically raised me. And you….well, you're my everything. Now can we please let this go and enjoy the rest of our stay here?"

Rose shifted her glare to him, even narrowed her eyes, but Dimitri stood his ground, resolute till Rose exhaled sharply and unclenched her hands from the fists they were balled into.

"Fine, I will calm down, if only you answer this truthfully", she countered. When Dimitri nodded-albeit hesitantly-she continued, "You've known Yeva for all of your life, and I've known her for sometime now. She made me, who's practically her grand-daughter-in-law, carry bricks over miles, whereas the first time she met my best friend, she hugged her. Comrade, do you really think she did it out of the goodness of her heart?"

"Did you just say grand-daughter-in-law? Without the to-be?", he asked, completely derailing the conversation.

Rose huffed, muttering about men and their short attention spans, before sparing him one final glare and then continuing her pacing, still livid over the grievous injustice she'd been dealt. Dimitri chuckled lightly, returning to the bed and his novel, looking up every now and then to watch his beautiful girlfriend pacing, enjoying this little display.

They'd come to visit Baia to unwind, along with both their charges (and half the royal guard), but it didn't look like the vacation was helping Rose de-stress…at all. But Dimitri was finding it entertaining as hell, and they'd not even been here for four hours. They'd shown up just prior to dinner-time and Olena had spent the entire evening fussing over them, piling the plates of their entourage with more food than what the community probably ate in a day, and after dinner and coffee, she'd sent everyone off to bed-the royal guard disappearing to a motel nearby. During coffee, much to Rose's dismay, Yeva had made an appearance and-behaved very civilly with everyone-even hugged the young moroi queen, which had outraged Rose, though she hadn't expressed it till she was alone with her beau. And Dimitri was not the least bit helpful!

Hours later, when Rose finally calmed down to be able to sleep, she climbed into bed beside the sleeping form of her boyfriend, who'd given up waiting an hour ago. Just as she closed her eyes, ready to put this day behind, she could have sworn she heard the cackling of the she-witch aka Yeva from downstairs. Damn that woman!

**Okay, so news first. The reason I've been quite slow with updates this week is because I'd been caught up with schoolwork, work-work and sports. And yesterday, my team won the championship game in a tournament and I was declared the MVP (yay me!), but that's over now, so I'm back again and-hopefully-will update more regularly.**

**Anyways, thanks for reading! Please Review!**


	89. Chapter 89

**Drabble:89  
POV:Third Person**

"Can I play with you, please?", six-year-old Dimitri asked his older sisters hopefully.

"No", Sonya retorted immediately, picking up a brush to comb the hair of the doll in her hand.

"But Karo, you promised mama you'll let me play with you!", Dimitri whined, pouting at his oldest sister.

Sensing that refusal wouldn't work, Karolina tried another tactic. "We'll be playing with dolls all days, tea-parties and shopping. I'm sure you don't want to do that."

"Yeah, Dimka.", Sonya piped in. "You should go play with the other boys."  
"But I wanna play with you!", Dimitri answered wistfully, making puppy-dog eyes. "Please Karo! Please Sonya! Could I please?"

Before Sonya could retort, her sister pulled her away to the corner of the room, where they had a very hush-hush conversation about their baby brother's request. After a few minutes of conferring, the Belikova sisters came over to where Dimitri was standing, awkwardly shuffling his foot.

"You can play with us", Sonya pronounced. "But on one condition."

Dimitri's chocolate-brown eyes lit up with delight at being included in his sisters' games, and he knew he would agree to anything.

That's how he found himself in the kitchen half-an-hour later, wearing his Sunday church suit with a rose tucked in his breast-pocket. Olena-smiling bemusedly-brushed his hair while Dimitri-very seriously-went over his shoes with a cold biscuit till they shined.

In the meantime, Karolina and Sonya arranged their dolls on the floor of the room they shared, and Sonya changed into a tulip-hued frock and sat down to let Karo tie a bow in her hair.

One hour after their eventful conversation, the three siblings congregated again in the sisters' room where Dimitri joined Sonya on her bed and Karo, humming lightly and dressed in her Sunday best, brought in one of her dolls, all dressed in white with a makeshift veil made from a napkin. Olena watched from the door, laughing lightly as her daughters married off their brother to one of their dolls with Sonya presiding over the ceremony as the minister, making up random wedding rules and vows which Dimitri listened to with rapt attention, cocking his head slightly. Karo, holding the doll, managed to pull off a convincing performance as the grieved mother-of-the-bride, sniffling and dabbing her eyes with a tissue.

After Dimitri received the congratulations of all the toys (voiced by his sisters) and had finished shaking their hands/paws/tails, they sat down to lunch, still dressed in their finery and enjoyed beef roast in honor of the special occasion. Dimitri sat with his 'wife' braced against his water-glass, both mortified at the day's events and happy at being allowed to play with his sisters. After lunch, the sisters disappeared back into their room, dragging their little brother along to continue staging the next stage of his marital-life. They played that day for hours and again the next day, the three siblings laughing and bonding together.

Approximately a week later, Dimitri's wife 'mysteriously' died, so after a makeshift funeral, and giving him enough time for grieving (roughly 3 hours), his sisters married him off again. And again. And again.

**Don't you just love them? I had to stop halfway through penning this to aww over baby-Dimitri.**

**Anyways, thanks for reading. Don't forget to review! Cheers!**


	90. Chapter 90

**Drabble:90  
POV:Third Person**

Flopping onto the couch in the Moroi lounge, Christian placed the box on the table in front of him with shaking hands. He kept on staring at the box-of-doom that could make or break him, thinking about how he ended up in this situation, till a sharp whistle from the doorway distracted him.

Glancing at the entry-point to the room, Christian found the reason he'd ended up in this uncomfortable situation. Rose Hathaway. Along with an angel and a devil. Meaning Lissa and Ashford. Well, Ashford wasn't exactly devil material; he was more of a sidekick to the evil spawn of Satan who went by the name of Rose Hathaway.

Speaking of Hathaway, she was smirking tauntingly at Christian, so he decided to man up and face (one of his) worst nightmare.

"Let's do this", he announced through gritted teeth.

"Are you sure, Chris?", Lissa asked worriedly, eyes flitting between her best friend and boyfriend. "You don't have to do this…..", she trailed off.

"Yeah, Chris", Rose piped in. "You don't have to."

"What are we waiting for? Let's get the show on the road", Christian spat out, his insides roiling with trepidation.

Rose scrutinized him through narrowed eyes a moment before walking forward and joining him at the sofa. The blonde and the red-head maintained their positions by the door.

"I have to say, I never expected you to step up to this."

"Me neither", Mason chimed in helpfully. "Bro, you got major guts".

"I'm man enough for this", Christian said, trying to convince himself as much as the others. "I'm man enough for you, Hathaway."

"Rose, please don't", Lissa entreated futilely.

"Only if Pyro here forfeits. Only then."

"No dice", Christian affirmed. "Enough trash-talk! Let's do this. Here", He said, pushing the package towards Rose.

"All of them?", Rose asked in surprise, perusing the contents of the box. When she lifted it towards Lissa, the blonde moaned slightly and paled. Even Mason looked horrified.

"This is gonna be a long, long night", Rose continued.

"All of them. A deal's a deal.", Christian spoke valiantly, barely able to stop his voice from shaking. "In fact, why don't you join us, Mason?" , he added casually, trying to draw the attention away from him.

"No thanks", Mason quickly replied. "As much as I'd love to see this, I don't think I'll be able to stay and watch you and Rose...you know"

Christian gave him a sardonic smirk before turning to Lissa.

"Liss?"

"No!", Rose exclaimed. "She's leaving. I don't wanna traumatize her any further, especially given that she knows our _agenda_ for tonight"

Lissa sighed, knowing better than to argue with Rose. "I'll leave now. Christian, be safe. Rose, try not to wear him out. For me, please?"

After Lissa and Mason bid their goodbyes and hugged Christian, he was left, sitting in the dark lounge, facing Rose. They stared at each other a minute before Rose reached into the box and pulled out the first item, ripping away its wrapper. She wanted the night to start and end ASAP, because she had practice early and couldn't afford to be too exhausted.

"Let's do this", she whispered before extracting the dreaded item. First of four.

The DVD of _Sex and the City_. Followed by _Legally Blonde_, _Confessions of a Shopaholic _and_ When in Rome._

4 chick flicks later, Christian knew never to bet against Rose Hathaway. Needless to say, he was no longer the same person. And neither was Rose.

**How many of you lovelies figured out the ending? Hope you enjoyed reading this tidbit. Review!  
Dimitri's. Smexi. Shewolf-we all want to (secretly) do that with Dimitri, don't we? :p  
And you're probably right, Richelle probably does stop on every page to aww over Dimitri and the others.  
And curligurl0896, thanks! And you'll just have to wait and see now, won't you :p  
And to the rest of the reviewers, thank you for your kind words! Y'all are awesomeness personified! Cheers!**


	91. Chapter 91

**Drabble:91  
POV:Third Person**

While they were at the ski lodge, Tasha had kissed Dimitri. She knew that he wasn't comfortable with intimacy or displays of affection, but she wanted to give him a taste of what he'd be getting if he accepted her job offer. _When_ he accepted her job offer. Because really, who in their right mind would give up a lifetime of ease and happiness and the chance to have a real family (that most dhampirs never did) for a life spent hunting undead monsters? So, Tasha had expected Dimitri to kiss her happily, but surprisingly that didn't happen.

The moment her lips touched his, Dimitri froze in place, not moving an inch. And when Tasha had given up, thinking that it was too early and that he'd been taken by surprise, she'd leaned back, unwilling to make him or the situation more uncomfortable. Dimitri had given her a fake, tight smile and uneasily wheedled his way out of the room, disappearing for the day, using his guardian duties as an excuse. Tasha had let it go then, resolved on working over it later. They'd have plenty of time when Dimitri took up her offer.

_Absolutely_.

But, inadvertently, she was a little miffed. I mean, Tasha was a fairly gorgeous specimen of the female kind, with her angular features, icy eyes and raven mane, and she knew most men appreciated that. She had expected Dimitri, in spite of being a focused guardian, to at least appreciate her beauty. She knew her scars didn't bother him, he was one of the only ones who didn't make her feel inferior or ugly, but he wasn't making her feel beautiful either. But no matter, they'd get there…together.

_Or so she thought._

After the Voda banquet, Dimitri took her to his room and sat her down and spouted a whole lot of bullshit about duties and responsibilities before dumping her. Not that they were an item or anything, but even then…that hurt. Tasha hoped that if she continued persisting, he'd change his mind.

_Fat chance._

When the flight from Spokane landed at St. Vladimir's, Tasha had been at the runway, waiting for her sole blood relative, the boy who she loved as her own-Christian. After ascertaining that he was alright, she'd taken him to the infirmary. Only then, she'd spared any thought to the other important man of her life (or she hoped he would be)-_Dimitri_.

And there he was, sitting in the waiting room, clutching Rose to his side, shielding her from the gossip and stares with his body. That was a chivalrous thing to do and Dimitri was nice like that. Tasha wouldn't have thought anything about it if she hadn't seen the look in his eyes whenever Rose looked at him. Rose's eyes were that of a person waking from a nightmare, waiting for someone to tell her the dream was over and Dimitri was wearing the look of her companion-her equal-his expression one of trust, reassurance, tenderness…and _love_. He loved her.

Rose Hathaway. _His forbidden fruit. His choice._

Tasha had been filled with rage and envy, but she'd suppressed it then. She was sure that given enough time, Dimka would see the wrongness of his choice; that he'd find that blazing Hathaway did not complement his tranquil self. And then, he'd come crawling back to her. And they'd get their happily ever after.

It was then that Tasha decided to relocate to court and try to fight for her causes, while waiting for Prince Charming to realize that the glass slipper fitted her.

_She'd bide her time till then._

**So how was my first exploration into Tasha's twisted mind?  
I have been pretty ill this week, but now I have run out of tomato soup. I am sad :(  
Review and cheer me up maybe? *wink-wink-nudge-nudge***


	92. Chapter 92

**Curligurl0896, this one's for you!**

**Drabble:92  
POV:Third Person**

Oftentimes Dimitri wished there was at least one person in the academy who understood his mother-tongue, someone he could converse with in Russian, but he had never been happier that it wasn't the case than now.

Dimitri castigated himself, using the choicest of swearwords in his native tongue-words that had he not been in this situation, he would've cringed to even think. Olena would probably have a heart-attack if she heard his tirade and Yeva would chase him with a broom, but Dimitri couldn't help but damn himself to the lowest pits of Hell using words that even his sister Sonya, the queen of bad-mouthing, would have been cowed to hear.

Really, how stupid could someone be? What an idiot! What had he been thinking? Oh yeah, he had thought he could get over Roza, let her concentrate on her duties, while he could _try_ to start a happy life with Tasha. Of course! Nothing could possibly go wrong with that.

Yeah, right! Now he had two women majorly pissed-off at him and he only had himself-and his stupidity-to blame.

Of all possible lines he could cross, he had to go and fall for his very underage, very exquisite student. Falling would have been okay, but he didn't stop there, did he? He proclaimed his love for her, kissed her then pushed her away. She'd understood him, and it had scared him. Now she was spending this ski-trip vacillating between ignoring him and lashing out at him. Marvelous!

If that wasn't enough, he'd flirted with Tasha, hoping she'd take his mind off Rose, but she'd been serious about him. Which lead to her kissing him and him freaking out.

He really hadn't seen it coming. One second they'd been in Tasha's room, sipping apple-tea, the next, she'd been standing on her tiptoes, kissing him. Dimitri had frozen, unable to process what was happening, unable-unwilling-to kiss her back. All he'd been able to think about was that day in the gym, kissing Roza, feeling her body molded to his, never wanting to stop, even for breathing. All he could think about was how Rose-with the soft, warm kisses they'd shared the night Lissa had been captured-had ruined him for other women. That and the almost-tangible bond they'd formed, caring and sharing with one another. While he'd been reminiscing about Roza, Tasha had broken off the kiss and was staring at him, the hurt evident in her eyes.

He'd wanted to reassure Tasha somehow, but all he'd been able to manage was some paper-thin excuse about duties before bolting. His mind reeling, he'd holed up in his room and taken to pacing there (and mentally kicking himself). He'd seen Tasha later that day, and she'd spared him an icy-glare before stalking away, intent on ignoring him. He'd really screwed everything up this time...

The best thing to do probably would be to sit with Rose and have a 'conversation' with her, letting her go-making peace with her-so she could be happy. Then proceed to Tasha's room, and kiss her senseless and accept her offer and walk away from Rose. _Clean break._ Yeah, that would be the best course of action…but for whom? His entire being-every cell of his body-was screaming obscenities at him, sure that this hare-brained scheme would bring him nothing but misery. But he didn't really care about himself did he? Only _she_ mattered. He was so far gone that the only person whose happiness mattered was Roza. She came first, always.

For now he'd go to the Voda banquet and blend into the shadows, and hope to God that he'd somehow figure out what to do and who to choose, to make this situation better. Never again would he leap before looking, lesson well learned.

**He sure got a sign at the banquet, didn't he? :p**

**Thanks for reading. Don't forget to review! Cheers!**


	93. Chapter 93

**This one's for guest-reviewer Kitty. Sorry about the delay. I'd forgotten all about it.**

**Drabble:93  
POV:Third Person**

At the end of the spirit-practice-session, Christian bid Lissa goodbye at the classroom door, explaining that he had to talk with Adrian. Lissa and Rose gave him identical weird looks before looking at Adrian-who, for once, looked serious-and then, exchanged worried looks with one another (undoubtedly talking via the bond) before taking their leave.

The boys watched the best friends walk away, all the way across the quad before turning to face one another. A stare-down ensued, each moroi waiting for the other to break first.

Adrian gave up first, lighting a cigarette as he did. "Well?", he questioned, raising his eyebrows impatiently.

"You first, Ivashkov", Christian hedged. "How long have you known?"

"A while", Adrian replied. "You?"

"Same here.", Christian replied, leaning against the doorframe.

Knowing that he won't be getting any more without revealing something, Adrian replied more unambiguously. "Almost since the first time we met. I made some stupid comment about perfumes and older men…and dear lord, her aura lit up and then some! All it took me was to find who made her aura shine that way in person. And how their auras mimicked one another. Simple really. Your turn."  
Christian decided to go with crass bluntness, if only to see Adrian's reaction. "I saw them making out a few weeks back. And everything else lined up".

Adrian choked on the cigarette he was smoking and coughed, trying to clear his airways. "Wait! You saw them making out?", Adrian rasped. "Here, in the academy? The gym?"

"No", Chris shrugged. "They were on the grounds, actually. Roses and moonlight, very romantic."

"You're not lying", Adrian stated, studying Christian's aura closely.

"Wow", he continued, crushing his cigarette beneath his shoes and running a hand through his hair. "I hadn't realized they were in the making-out stage yet."

"If its any consolation, I don't think it is a daily-occurrence or something. For one, Belikov wouldn't allow that."  
"Right", Adrian snorted. "Cradle robber wouldn't allow that, would he? That goody-little-two-shoes can do no wrong. Other than making out with his underage student, one who's ages younger than him. Need I remind you Christian he dumped your aunt?"

"Keep Tasha out of this", Christian snarled. "Belikov did what he had to. If he finds happiness with her, well good for him. And they're only 7 years apart, that's not really outrageous."

"Oh, so you're Team Belikov, then. Huh?"

"As opposed to Team Adrian? Maybe.", Christian replied bluntly. "But I'm more Team Hathaway. Its her happiness that I care about. And you'd do well to remember that, Ivashkov."

"What's that supposed to mean?", Adrian asked, outraged now. "You think I don't want her to be happy?" But Christian made no reply, only stared him down, till Adrian nodded once, sharply.

They then discussed what they'd observed of the two dhampirs and the assumptions they'd made, for a while before Adrian, in that flippant way of his, changed the topic.  
"Hey, do you think they do other stuffs too?"  
"Really, Ivashkov? Really? Its time for your nap-nap. Goodbye!", Christian scoffed, heading out.

"Wait, Christian!", Adrian followed him out. "So what do we do? Do we even do anything?"

Christian furrowed his eyebrows in concentration before replying. "Let's just keep it between us, for starters and watch over the two, for now. If Belikov makes her less than happy, I'd like to give him a dressing out. Something tells me you'd love to chip in."  
"Damn straight", Adrian piped cheerfully. "I'll hold you to that, Fireboy."  
"Goodnight, Ivashkov. Vodka dreams!", Chris drawled, giving him a two-fingered-salute before walking away.  
Adrian clutched his coat tighter against his body and walked towards the guest-housing, trying to suppress the jealous hurt in his chest knowing that Belikov was making Rose happy, not him. And Christian, who was practically her family approved of Belikov, not him.

**That's all for now! Do review! Cheers!**

**And thank you 0o0-Happy-Dagger-0o0 for review no.400!**

**PS-On a completely different topic, does anyone from here live in Manhattan/Seattle, London, Vladivostok/Moscow or Munich/Erlangen/Leipzig/Dresden? Or is knowledgeable about these given locations? In that case, could you please PM me? Thanks!**


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